SCP-5000-A, temple exterior redacted-Fractures in the ice are a result of structural instability caused by reality interference during the initial exploration mission
Special Containment Procedures: The temple containing SCP-5000, hereafter designated SCP-5000-A, must be removed from all records, including official documentation, maps, satellite imagery and informal communiques. All information about it must be restricted to this document. A secure perimeter is to be established at a 10-km radius around SCP-5000-A, and entrance is to be restricted to members of the O5 Council. Absolutely no attempts to restrict its effects must be made.
Foundation Webcrawler O5#3# is to monitor all networks for any mention of the temple, and NIES 21is to be utilised to monitor for thoughts regarding SCP-5000-A in both Foundation personnel and the civilian population in general.
[×]Note:These containment procedures are incomplete. Full containment procedures are subject to Level 5 classification[×]
Description: SCP-5000 refers to the central chamber of a 30,000-year-old temple of unknown origin, located at -79.2350761, 16.45115002. Other than its physical form, no information is known about it or its function. However, due to a very high estimated danger of causing a ZK-λ-Class Cosmic Fragmentation Scenario3, further interaction with it is to be prohibited.
The temple's layout utilizes a range of Escherian geometry, including a physically impossible topology, being larger on its interior that on its exterior, and is believed to partially exist outside of what is observed as "baseline reality". At its center is located a 7×7×7m room, which contains a cube, made of a black, obsidian-like mineral of unknown composition.
Inside the cube there have been observed two humanoid figures, which seem to move at seemingly random intervals, apparently engaged in a game of chess. The moves played during this game have been observed to interfere with reality in a fundamental degree. They essentially I am playing a game of souls a game of of souls souls are [REDACTED-SEE ADDENDA A-D FOR MORE] No means currently exist to halt SCP-5000's game progression that do not interfere with the Foundation's Mission Statements to Contain and Protect.
SCP-5000-1 refers to [DATA EXPUNGED].
Addendum A - Test Log
Subject: SCP-5000-A inner sanctum
Level: CTS (Cosmic Top Secret, for Overseer Eyes Only)
Results: X-ray imaging of the inside of the cube shows two humanoid individuals, most likely males, sitting facing one another. A small table is on the floor between them, on top of which there can be observed a very thick piece of paper or similar material, with small pieces of wood placed on specific locations on top of it. Additional scans were conducted with a three-month period between each other, and initially did not show the humanoid figures moving. The wooden pieces were found, however, to move and change their positions, in an apparently random manner.
X-ray scan visual

X-ray scanning from above revealed the paper to be a chessboard, and the wooden pieces traditional chess pieces. However, the two individuals were not visible in the top-down scan. Further scanning has successfully imaged the individuals only in the sagittal view.
SCP-5000-A was initially classified as Anomalous Location #3567 as only minor anomalous effects were observed, and further research was instructed. Dr. Allen was appointed head of research, and ordered the weekly x-ray scanning of the cubicle, and the keeping of detailed notes should anything change.
Addendum B - Testing Records-Keeping / SCP-5000
General Format:
Date
(Diagram of board, if applicable)
Notes
Type of move
Effect
[NOTE: After the Anomalous Location's discovery, Dr. Allen connected the main research computer with ASRP4, as per initial containment procedure. After the first observations, ASRP started observing and automatically noting connections between the moves played and some external events. Those are noted in the "effects" section, although they were at first deemed to be "mere coincidences"]
2/█/1990
Notes: The first recorded position of the pieces.
30/█/1990 - 28 days after the last move
Notes: The first recorded changing of the pieces' position. Black tower moved three squares ahead.
Type of move: Taking position for an attack
Effect: A growing unrest in various white-supremacy groups in the USA and Europe leads to some small-scale protests in Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Berlin.
Iranian military forces initiate 2-week-long live-fire field tests in the borders, the UN orders a High level of awareness.
4/██/1990 - 34 days after the last move
[IMAGE REDACTED, ANOMALOUS INFLUENCE DETECTED]
Notes: Second observed changing of the pieces' position.
Type of move: The move's intentions could not be determined by Foundation chess experts. Move confirmed to offer no specific advantage and to serve no identifiable purpose. Intentions ultimately catalogued as "unknown defensive move"
Effects: Anomalous location discovered by the Foundation, classified as Thaumiel-class
28/██/1990 - 24 days after the last move
Notes: The entity on the left of the table observed to move the black piece, confirmed animation of the entities
Type of move: Attack move. The rook moved six squares ahead, capturing the pawn.
Effects: GOC taking control of the aforementioned Thaumiel-class SCP. After a brief firefight between the GOC forces and the Foundation security team, the location is bombed and destroyed.
NOTE: Possible relations between the anomaly and various worldwide events discovered and confirmed by the ASPR, first suggestions are that the game is predicting worldwide events. Special observation measures initiated by the O5 Council, including the designation and reclassification of the location as SCP-5000 (Thaumiel). Frequency of X-ray testing was increased to one scan every 10 hours. O5-1 approves the use of the temple as an early-warning system
10/██/1990 - 13 days after the last move
[IMAGE REDACTED, HOSTILE ANOMALOUS INFLUENCE DETECTED]
Notes: -
Type of move: Miscellaneous/space-creating.
Effects: SCP object discovered in Tehran, Iran, its anomalous properties being, among others, the capability to obliterate matter in a 10-meter radius around it
NOTE: Dr. Allen suggests that the game is causing the events, rather than predicting them. In an attempt to confirm this, heavy SRAs are placed around the cubicle, to monitor the results.
15/██/1990, 8:00 - 5 days after the last move
[IMAGE REDACTED, ANOMALOUS INFLUENCE DETECTED]
Notes: Shortest recorded changing of the pieces' position.
Type of move: Offensive move, 2 pawns disappear, apparently having been captured.
Effects: Riots begin throughout Eastern Europe, 12 casualties and over 57 injured. Ukraine and Georgia declared in an emergency situation. Australian Prime Minister resigning due to widespread public unrest, [DATA EXPUNGED]
15/██/1990, 18:00 - less than 10 hours after the last move
Notes: Emergency meeting ordered by the O5 Council to discuss the accelerating frequency of activity from SCP-001.
Type of move: Defensive move.
Effects: European Parliament calls for an emergency meeting for the stabilisation of the riot situation, while the casualties have escalated to over 30 people and some 100 injured. [DATA EXPUNGED] over the USA, 2 farmers found dead and the city of Atlanta is quarantined from the UIU to contain the phenomenon
15/██/1990, 22:30 - less than 4.5 hours after the last move
you shall not not not not stop it it
Notes: Emergency meeting of all Senior Researchers ordered by the O5 Council. All Foundation sites are sealed for the duration of the emergency.
Type of move: Offensive move. fighting you uoy you All of the white pawns dissappear from the table
Effects: The European Parliament meeting is postponed as riots begin in Luxembourg directed against the Parliament. The situation in Ukraine has escalated to a full-on civil unrest, over 100 casualties and 360 injured. Foundation forces in the location of SCP-5000-A ceize all communications and the rescue team fails to locate the iceberg due to an unusual local reality destabilization.
Addendum C - Emergency O5 Meeting Records (16/██/1990) - Follow-Up Report, [O5-1]
Things had started escalating. I mean, we knew that the chessboard cube, as we called it, was important, but we only just realized how important. The moves played were found to indeed directly influence reality, instead of just predicting it. Position-taking moves correlated perfectly with increases in political tension across the globe, offensive moves with civil unrest and violence…
And some moves created anomalies.
Yes, some of the moves made were… unorthodox: pieces were removed from the board without being captured, or added without promotion. These unorthodox moves caused anomalies to literally spawn around the globe - and furthermore, their natures seemed to relate directly to the preceding move.
But what was truly alarming, was that while the moves were originally played at a rate of 1-2 per month, when we wrote the first related file they accelerated to 1 per week, and then to 1 per hour. Like a reverse Quantum Zeno Effect5, the anomaly changed more as we were observing it. And the proportion of moves that were unorthodox - and therefore anomalous - continued to increase.
And then… Chaos. When we filed the first document for the anomaly, and we started implementing some containment procedures to restrict its effects in reality, the world went literally mad. Like an elephant, with an explorer having jumped on its back, reality itself tried to throw us off its back. The previously-noted riots turned onto civil wars, and the previous reality issues around the iceberg turned into the location litteraly disappearing for days.
So we called in our best. Tried to figure out what the hell was happening. And during the course of the talk, someone - I believe it was Dr. Bright - noticed something.
He mentioned some old statistics, a brief research that was done when none was paying attention. The research was about the number of anomalous phenomena that were created every year (not the ones we contained, but rather those that "appeared" around the globe). And there had indeed emerged a pattern.
Just like our chessboard, starting from the Year of Foundation, the number of anomalies that appeared augmented year after year. Just like the reverse Zeno Effect, the more work we put into containing them, the more of them were. And the more cleverly we blocked, the more effectively we contained their effects, the more complex these effects became.
So instead of determining containment procedures for SCP-5000, we ended up concluding that it appeared we were the ones that needed to be contained… I called for a halt to the meeting, and I ordered Jack to form a special research group to further investigate his discovery. Meanwhile, all containment procedures implemented on the iceberg temple were ordered to be postponed until further notice, and the SRAs were remotely disarmed.
And… it worked. Thank God it did. The riots slowly calmed down, they turned to protests and then to quiet. The iceberg re-appeared, and the first x-ray scan revealed that all of the anomalous moves had been undone, and the pieces had returned to normal positions. But the containment team was not found on the temple..
Addendum E - SCP-5000 Observation Results,██/1██/2019
On ██/1██/19██, SCP-5000's chess game was observed to be reaching a conclusion, with the black pieces having almost completed a formation around the white king. It is unknown what would happen if the black pieces indeed captured the white king, and as such a state of Level 1 Awareness has been ordered by the O5 Council.
Follow-up:
The use of the only Axion Reality MegaAnchor6 in the Foundation's disposal has been approved by the Council and by the Administrator. The installation procedures have begun, but it is currently unknown if they will be completed before the game is over - if it will indeed be.
DATA CORRUPTED &$ Game Over. For All Of UsYouUsEveryone
NOTIFICATION: THIS FILE DESCRIBES AN AS OF YET NOT FULLY UNDERSTOOD ANOMALY. CONTAINMENT PROTOCOLS FOR THE ANOMALY IN QUESTION ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AND MAY NOT BE UP TO DATE
ANY ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THIS FILE WITHOUT THE PROPER DUGIARIUS INOCULATION MAY RESULT IN DEATH AND / OR OTHER EFFECTS
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX is stored inside an armored containment chamber padded with carbon radiation shielding. The chamber is connected to an adjacent observation room, properly equipped to accomodate two security guards for at least six hours. The two rooms are connected with an armored viewport, equipped with a mirror assembly through which only SCP-XXXX's reflection can be observed. Maintenance personnel must be equipped with appropriate noice-cancelling earpieces, opaque goggles and breathmasks connected to a sealed oxygen tank.
Due to SCP-XXXX's nature and its effects, any and all information regarding it must be:
- classified at the highest possible level
- stored as a database entry saved in a remote computer, isolated from the main SCP intranet and any internet network
- accessible indirectly, that is without personnel being directly aware they're accessing it. After the approval of a staff member's request to access any piece of information directly regarding the anomaly (that is, excluding information such as guarding duties or access logs), the individual in question is to be immediately amnesticized. An email containing an encrypted link to SCP-XXXX's database entry will then be sent to the individual in question. It is to be infused with memetic agent D567 and T678
Treatment of SCP-XXXX-1 instances is to be undertaken by members of the Department of Abnormalities. Instances in the third or higher stage of infection are to be terminated.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a perfect sphere of unknown composition with an approximate diameter of 70cm and a weight of 1.7kg, which constantly glows with a red hue. It emits a strong odor, which has been described by subjects as "an odd smell of burned flesh", and is detectable from a range as far as 20 meters away from it. Its surrace is covered with a plethora of symbols typicaly associated with the sarkic tradition of ritualistic sacfirices. Its anomalous effects manifest when any individual, henceforth referred to as SCP-XXXX-1, comes into any form of direct contact with it (visual, tactile, olfactory, efc.) and depend on the duration of contact:
1-2 seconds of continuous contact - Stage 1 :
- Vision: Subjects report that their field of vision is overwhelmed by a "red color", which has been identified as the interior of their orbital cavity.
- Hearing: Subjects are rendered functionally deaf, although they report to be able to hear "sea waves", identified as the blood flow in their tympanic cavity
- Body exertion: Urinating will cause urine to fill the individual's urethra, and if prolonged, their kidney(s). Injuring the individual will lead to internal bleeding at the location of the injury, with its size depending on the severity of the injury
3-10 seconds of continuous contact - Stage 2 :
- Subjects' skin cells are replaced with bone cells. Osteoblasts start forming and mineralizing bone tissue on top of the skin which is observed to start fading out as it is replaced
- Subjects' nails are replaced by various internal body cells such as neurons and myocytes
11-17 seconds of continuous contact - Stage 3 :
Up to this point, breaking the continuous contact will result in the anomalous effects gradually demanifesting. From this stage on though, the effects are not reversible.
- Subjects' hair is replaced by cerebral cells and axons begin forming neural networks in the place of hair combs
- The skin, now covered entirely by a bone integument, starts forming blood vessels and nerves, which cover the entire body, exactly mirroring the circulatory and neural system as it should be under the skin.
20 seconds of continuous contact - Stage 4 :
At this point, subjects are considered fully developed SCP-XXXX-1 instances. The neural system is completed and connected to the cerebral tissue on the head, and together with the circulatory system they are steadily situated on top of the bone integument. All internal organs have been transferred to the exterior of the body as expected, having been formed from their respective cells in the same way as the previous mutations, and are connected to their respective systems (digestive, reproductive, etc.).
>20 seconds of continuous contact - Stages 5 and 6
[REDACTED - LEVEL 6 CLEARENCE REQUIRED]
Subjects are found to be self-aware during the entirety of their 20 second mutation, showing, as expected, signs of extreme distress, and pain during the process. After the end of the mutation, SCP-XXXX-1 instances will attempt to escape containment in any way. Their intelligence level remains unchanged, and they frequently attempt to persuade research personnel to release them. When unsuccessful, they will attempt to actively breach containment using brute force, but their fragile nature means their attempts are usually unsuccessful. It oftentimes leads to the subject's death, usually by having a vital organ disconnected or otherwise damaged.
Test #0001/XXXX - First recorded test
Test subject: Mus musculus specimen, laboratory - bred
Test video log transcript:
00:01: Subject is placed in SCP-XXXX's containment chamber using a remotely-controlled robotic arm. The camera is pointed away from SCP-XXXX and directly at a mirror facing the subject, to prevent the cognitohazardous effects from affecting the researchers.
00:02: First signs of mutation: subject's eyes turn to light pink skin, and its ears are seen to fold in on themselves, being covered by flesh. Subject does not attempt to flee, having been fully paralyzed by SCP-XXXX's effects, but is seen violently shaking in pain.
00:20: SCP-XXXX is removed from the chamber as the mutation of the subject is complete. Its digestive system is visible under the nerves and veins that cover its body, as well as its "brain" flesh that covers its head. Subject starts running around panicked, leaving small pieces of veins behind it as it runs.
00:35: Subject stops running, having apparently realized the fragility of its condition. It is removed by the robotic arm.
Test #0006/XXXX - First test with a human specimen
00:01: The subject, D-4425 is introduced to SCP-XXXX's containment chamber. D-4425 becomes aware of the anomaly, and attempts to cover his eyes, but the mutation instantly affects him and he retracts his hands.
00:03-00-12:
D-4435: Woah. (chuckles nervously) Uh… C-Command? Is- is this meditation lesson or something? All I’m hearing are god damn sea waves.Command: No, D-4435. Proceed on.
D-4435 moves closer to SCP-XXXX.
D-4435: Fuck… I- I can’t see anything but fucking orange.
Command: How are you feeling as of now, D-4435 ?
D-4435 outstretches his arms and attempts to examine them, to no avail. His eyes are now slowly being replaced by his orbital cavity.
D-4435: M- my arms. Fuck is going on? I-
D-4435 yelps and collapses to the ground into a fetal position.
D-4435: Ah shit…
D-4435’s skin begins to fade into milky white, as bone cells start replacing his skin
D-4435: D- doc? My head. My head feels funny. I- I can’t do this anymore.
Command: D-4435, stay where you are!
D-4435: Why- Ah fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
D-4435 screams in agony, as he thrashes about on the floor. The entirety of his head fades into a milky white, before blood vessels and brain matter begin to overtake it.
Command: D-4435 ?
D-4435 stops thrashing. He slowly stands up, albeit with difficulty in regaining his balance.
Command: We are going to ask you a few questions. Remain where you are.
D-4435: No. No more. Pl..plle…ase…
D-4435 turns around slowly, revealing an amalgamation of brain matter, blood vessels, bone and muscles. His heart is visibly pumping, albeit at a faster rate than that prior to the experiment.
D-4435: (crying) Wh-why…?
Command: D-
D-4435 sprints to the containment cell door, using his fists to pound on it.
D-4435: No no ques…. t… ions…. N… n… O…. no….
The door's security mechanism zaps D-4435 and he drops to the floor. His blood vessels begin to rupture and burst, injured from the fall, and expell blood onto the floor. Muscles display evident signs of bruising.
D-4435: n…. n…..>
(D-4435 collapses to the floor. After 2 minutes, a remote mechanism removes his body as he seems to be unable to stand up. The chamber mechanism clears the room of biological matter)
Test #0008/XXXX - First prolonged exposure to SCP-XXXX
Warning: This document has been redacted due to the suspected presence of harmful memetic agents.
The full transcript follows below. Attempting to perceive the file without the appropriate Dugiarius inoculation may result in death.
To: %%name%%
From: SCP-XXXX Research Group Director
Subject: SCP-XXXX Update
Dear user,
There have been some rather interesting new discoveries during the latest test involving SCP-XXXX (Inter_Dtbase_Entry#XXXX_test0008_classif).During this test, subject D-3356's stage 4 mutated body was left in the containment chamber, fully exposed to SCP-XXXX instead of being removed as per standard procedure. After 30 minutes of continued exposure, the body was lifted in the air, apparently with no external stimuli, and began glowing with a bright blue hue. Immediately following this, the command chamber received live audio originating from D-3356 himself. The transcript is as follows:
<Begin Log>
D-3356: g̷̷͍̠̀ò̳̫̼̹̯̕r҉̖̙͠b͚̣͚̗̗̕i̖̖͓͕̤͞ǹ͍̜K̛͈̻͇̳̝͡ĺ̡͔ų̺̥̳̻̦͖͢t̵̢͉̳̖̹h̡̺̹̻̗̳͘ù͈̦͎̼ ̧̧̛͈͓͙͕̖̮̤K̢̹̜͓̝͚͈̣̼l̥̤̻̥͔ṵ̬̲͝t̬̫h̸̩̠͢͡ͅu͉͉̺̞̞͠9
Command: Translator? We have any…. (background notice of papers and movement).
D-3356: m̴̰͉̩̞͉ǫ͙̪͚̼r̷̵̛͈͍̣̼̯̭ͅc̩̱̩̣̲̳̰͞͝ͅḩ̴̤̩̬̜̯̣̪͡l̠̺̦̻̘͍̩̼e̕͏̤͕̩d̼̝̝̞̪̣͜ę̯̦̠̞̲̻̯͟ ͏҉̤̙l̜̫ò̫̱̼̟̬̬̹ŕ̷̹̲͙̠͡g̷̷͍̠̀ò̳̫̼̹̯̕r҉̖̙͠b͚̣͚̗̗̕i̖̖͓͕̤̤͞10
Command: Okay (background) does he… can he understand? Do you understand us?
D-3356: G̴͇̑͠ḩ̴̺̜̭̼̱̀̾͜j̷̨͚̖̭̜̥͓͋̒ͅṡ̷̙̤̎̎ũ̴͔͙̞͙̀̃͐̀̆̕y̶̛̭̼̬̭̋̑̋͆͑̔͊j̵͍̩͍͔̍ͅj̶̧̱͓̥͊̏̍́̐̑̚ͅǩ̵̛̦̥̼̫̬̬11
Command:(background noice) okay he understands D-3356, what is the "reverse" you refer to? What do you s-
D-3356: Ḩ̴͕̠̌̕w̴̢̧̟̞͂̈̕͠k̷̫̂̉͘d̵̡̫̭̊͌ḫ̸͐͑̕k̴͉̜͓͐̍w̵͍̼̺̻̑͛b̶̡̺̘̩́̒̋͘x̵̨̼͌n̸̡͙̞͚͋̏̓x̴̬̘͋̀͝12
Command: What is it that we cannot ha-
(At this point, D-3356 started glowing in a very bright blue hue, instantly blinding all 4 supervising researchers)
D-3356: H̸̪̺̪́s̵̤͊̓k̵̲̗͑̂͝ų̴̰̻̉͒͘b̴̨̨̫͂̂͘c̷̹̝̪̀̍̈́f̸̗̀̾f̶̝̮̍͠f̶̺̠̈́̐̽͜f̷̗͌r̷̘̦̲̓̓y̸̭̽13
<End Log>
Notes: The test was found to have been recorded in reverse order (the final vocalizations being at the start and the distinctive audio sound denoting the beginning of the log being at the end). All four researchers have been mutated beyond recognition to a stage 5 SCP-XXXX-1 instance.
There are things that didn't make it to the log though. I was with the first squad that entered the chamber after the event, and things were weird. We didn't actually manage to enter the chamber at first: the guy who opened the pressure doors immediately collapsed to the floor. The D-class had collapsed into an unrecognizable mass of flesh and bone dust, which expelled SCP-XXXX's radiation - like mutagen at a very high rate according to our organs. Apparently that is the final stage 6 of infection:total matter reversal; replication is therefore not an option. When we managed to neutralize the thing and subdued the radiation remains using a Dugiarius probe, we entered the observation room, and we found the four researchers… catatonic. Their flesh had apparently covered the entirety of their insides, and their exterior was unrecognizable. They had been fully reversed, their eyes were missing, and veins and brains were literally floating around them. How can you describe something when there are no words, no sense in the human experience to describe it? They were not humans, not even humanoids. They were something else entirely, alive only because death would be too simple to explain their condition.
We attempted to get rid of them, but the standard incinerator did not work. They emerged unharmed, still sentient, and unlike the rest of the instances, not damaged at all. The incinerator backfired immediately after we removed them, that is, instead of launching fire in the chamber, it burned its own circuits (it seems that stage 5 instances are able to transmit their reverse mutation?) All other methods of termination (exposure to radiation, application of anti-matter of the same mass, etc.) ended in the same way: the machines didn't harm the instances, and were destroyed immediately after by having their effects applied to themselves.
Needless to say if you've read the current Special Containment Procedures, we eventually found a way to actually neutralize them. We dropped the instances by plane inside Site-0's containment perimeter, and as expected [REDACTED] succeeded in withstanding the mutation's effects and annihilated the four instances. The thing is…as you know we cannot afford using it more than absolutely necessary. So if any more stage 5 instances emerge, it is very unlikely we will manage to get O5 approval to neutralize them.
Sincerely,
[REDACTED]
The following message was sent from Site 0 directly to the Overseer Command at ██/1██/19██, 3 days after the neutralization of the Stage 5 SCP-XXXX-1 instances :
SCP-001 [DATA CORRUPTED]
SCP-001 form change has been observed [MAJOR DATA CORRUPTION] internal [UNTRANSCRIBABLE] declare a PATMOS Event [DATA CORRUPTED]It started shining with a blue hue [DATA CORRUPTED]REVERSE LIES






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