 |
| The area surrounding SCP-XXXX at the peak of Mt. ██████ in the Himalayas, with the appropriate region censored on the website ███.██████.com. Area is to be monitored frequently for unauthorised personnel attempting to gain access to Site-XXXX's radius. |
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: Site-XXXX is to be constructed in the region immediately surrounding SCP-XXXX. Storage space will be acquitted as necessary for any new artifacts recovered from Site-XXXX, and on-site living accommodation and workspaces will be maintained for Foundation scientists and cryptographers.
All public records of the mountain on which SCP-XXXX is situated are to be censored, with special care given to those present in mainstream media. The obtuse censor blocks present in online images of the region around Site-XXXX (see pictured) are to be justified with the explanation of missing satellite data preventing the region from being properly shown.
Guards stationed along the perimeter of Site-XXXX are to remain on constant lookout for unauthorised personnel attempting to access the area. Foundation operatives are to ensure that local aircraft do not have the necessary clearance to pass overhead, and in the event this happens the aircraft are to be ordered to land on threat of a military strike. All unauthorised personnel found in a two-mile radius of the site are to be detained and amnesticised before being released back to the public.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a massive subterranean infrastructure located in the Himalayan Mountains in the province of Asia. The structure is arranged into an octagonal shape with each face measuring approximately 3.5km lengthwise, with an average depth of about 300m-350m below sea level. It is constructed primarily from concrete, steel ridges and supports, and iron girders which support an array of internal corridors and passageways. The structure shows signs of severe natural erosion: many of the iron fixings in the connection blocks have all but rusted away, and numerous brittle ruptures has been observed across the structure's outer surface, leaving some areas of the internal corridors exposed to the ice.
SCP-XXXX comprises an abandoned electrical facility in its core, with several “rings” of walkways and maintenance tunnels punctuating gaps in the 1.75km distance between it and the perimeter. These “rings” house more than 56km total of industrial tubing, wiring, defunct computer servers, and ventilation shafts, all of which invariably route back to the central facility, creating a vast array of interconnected electrical relays and maintenance ducts. The outermost “ring” is the most densely fitted with these electricals to the point where traversing along it on foot comes with considerable difficulty, and is notably junctioned at points with large archways in the outermost wall, as if to allow the deliberate access to the surrounding polar ice in these areas. On closer inspection, these archways are carefully-segmented stations to which every tube, cable or wire is exposed at least once along its full length. It has been theorised that the location of SCP-XXXX was once integral to its function: the archaic wires and computer systems present in the construct are decades old, and regimented exposure to polar ice may have been a countermeasure against overheating, assuming SCP-XXXX was ever actually operational.
Embedded on the eastern side of the facility are three large bunk rooms, thought to have been used as a communal living area before the facility was abandoned. Various tunnels and maintenance shafts form an elaborate network of interconnected walkways around the outside of the central facility, each punctuated with maintenance panels, comprising numerous significant access points across the overall lattice of electricals and computer equipment. Many of these tunnels, especially those running through the midpoint of the structure, are incredibly long - some are equipped with simplistic trams mounted on overhead tracks, though almost all of these have become nonfunctional due to erosion and disrepair.
The central facility contains several thousand interconnected computer servers, relays, electrical consoles, and maintenance panels. These electronics have fallen into disrepair due to prolonged exposure to sub-zero temperatures and erosion, such that they no longer function. Each individual terminal of wires is connected to each and every other terminal by way of a vast lattice of cables which run along the floor. The central terminal, equipped with nine VCR screens and a panel-mounted microphone, is thought to have relayed information between itself and the other computers in the facility. The technology present in the central facility on average dates back to about 1960, though some individual relays and solid-state storage drivers may come from as far back as 1948. The structure contains no obvious power source, nor have any external power sources been identified as of present.
The structure also houses several large server rooms, freezers and basic storage faculties. These rooms are connected by a 3mx3m walkway which circles around the facility twice, eventually leading to an expansive library of documents organised into no fewer than three thousand individual filing cabinets. These written documents are similar to original 1940s telegram messages and are written in Polish, followed by a transcript in an unidentified Russian dialect which has been thus far unobserved in any Russian text.
The documents housed in SCP-XXXX are individually labelled with the year in which they were printed - the earliest date recorded so far is 19██, which suggests that SCP-XXXX may have started construction in as early as 19██. The earliest documents discovered thus far detail the construction of the central terminal of SCP-XXXX, and each subsequent decade of documentation records the construction of the outer “rings” of the facility surrounding it. Standard reports on the condition of the on-site electrical equipment and living spaces have also been discovered - it is believed that SCP-XXXX housed no fewer than 400 on-site personnel at any one time, and that these personnel fulfilled standard applications as engineers, tunnelers, and maintenance workers.
The reason for SCP-XXXX’s construction is not fully understood. However, information from the aforementioned documents discovered within SCP-XXXX, as well as the structure and arrangement of the (previously) advanced electronics in SCP-XXXX’s central facility, suggest that it was originally constructed to house the first known supercomputer. Research suggests that the vast array of computer terminals present in the central facility and the constant sub-zero temperatures achieved by the surrounding polar ice allowed SCP-XXXX to become considerably more advanced than other computers of the last century, encompassing almost a half-terabyte of data storage in the years prior to the founding of the gigabyte. Specialist terminology is used in on-site documentation, much of it presumably designated by SCP-XXXX’s creators, but is later scrapped, likely due to mainstream computer terminology becoming more appropriate.
Furthermore, what little information there is on the purpose of SCP-XXXX suggests that the site was originally constructed to house an artificial intelligence with no less than a Grade 4 Artificial Sentience, hereby referred to as SCP-XXXX-1. Details about the steps involved in this procedure are scarce as the documentation found on-site records the development of the artificial intelligence from a purely explanatory basis, with no details given as to hardware or software requirements. Despite lacking all of the essential technologies required to create a genuine artificial intelligence (many of which are as of yet undiscovered even to the Foundation), this goal was met at some point in 19██, resulting in the formation of an artificial intelligence which could exercise very simplistic powers of speech and demonstrated reactions to personnel speaking to it, achievable through the microphone mounted on the facility’s central control terminal (see Addendum XXXX-C1). Nine hundred of the three thousand filing cabinets recovered from SCP-XXXX are dedicated to the storage of documents pertaining solely to the development of SCP-XXXX-1, referred to with two terms from the Polish phonetic alphabet, representing B and G respectively.
SCP-XXXX appears to have ceased function as late as 1983. The reasons for the structure being abandoned are not currently understood, as recovered documentation leading up to the approximated date of the facility's abandonment are normal. (See Addendum XXXX-C2.)
 |
| The contents of one jar of SCP-XXXX. |
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe [Note: Sweet dreams with Dream Sweets!]
Special Containment Procedures: All one-hundred-and-twenty-eight (128) containers of SCP-XXXX currently in Foundation possession are to be kept in Storage Site-64, Secure Lockers XXXX-A through XXXX-D. Each of these lockers are to be secured with a four-digit passcode, the combination for which is to be cycled on a bi-monthly schedule.
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| A common manifestation of SCP-XXXX, pictured in a public park in ████ ███████, USA. |
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: Manifestations of SCP-XXXX do not follow a regular pattern of occurrence, however it is known that they take place at least once every month. Regions with estuaries or public parks which contain ponds or water features larger than 15m2 and as deep as 3m are to be closely monitored through local media outlets for manifestations of SCP-XXXX.
Public manifestations of SCP-XXXX are subject to immediate quarantine and their non-anomalous components are to be contained in Site-64 in designated storage lockers XXXX-1 through XXXX-18. Instances of SCP-XXXX-A are to be contained on-site for immediate study.
Media coverage of SCP-XXXX is to explain public manifestations as the work of an anonymous satirical artist. Physical witnesses to SCP-XXXX's initial manifestation are to be apprehended, taken for questioning, and then amnesticised.
Description: SCP-XXXX is the collective designation for manifestations of SCP-XXXX-A and a variety of other non-anomalous objects which occur in ponds and other non-man-made areas of stagnant, non-saline water in the USA. SCP-XXXX was first observed in Portland, Oregon in 1992, and recorded instances have been occurring roughly ten (10) to twenty (20) times each year ever since.
SCP-XXXX refers to the immediate manifestation of between one (1) and five (5) instances of SCP-XXXX-A. These instances are usually accompanied by a variety of other objects, creating the visual impression of an activity or practice. (See Addendum SCP-XXXXa for examples.) Oftentimes, instances of SCP-XXXX-A manifest in a formation which suggests interaction with these objects, creating a "scene" in which SCP-XXXX-A appear to be partaking in some sort of activity, though they are always completely inanimate.
SCP-XXXX-A resemble female clothing mannequins with identical facial and bodily features. They are invariably clad in a variety of swimwear, such as bathing suits and swim caps, with branding indicative of multiple well-known clothing brands (though their logos are always presented as they appeared no later than 1991). The clothing lacks labels or other identifying characteristics, and material samples (from articles of swimwear, or from SCP-XXXX-A instances themselves) have so far been impossible to obtain due to the anomalous properties of SCP-XXXX-A. Brand identification which is present on other mannequins of the same type as SCP-XXXX-A has not been observed on these instances.
SCP-XXXX-A will instantly de-manifest when they are moved or otherwise disturbed by a person. In this case, all present SCP-XXXX-A instances will de-manifest, along with any clothing that is attached to them. The person does not have to make any physical contact with an instance of SCP-XXXX-A, as even indirect manipulation will trigger this effect. (This effect does not extend to wildlife, which have been observed manipulating instances of SCP-XXXX-A without triggering de-manifestation.) Any other objects which appear as a result of SCP-XXXX's effects will remain, and are otherwise completely non-anomalous in nature.
So far, no information about the origin of SCP-XXXX-A instances, or any other objects which manifest through SCP-XXXX, has been uncovered.
Addendum XXXXa: Examples of SCP-XXXX manifestations
| Date |
Location |
Description |
| 07/03/92 |
Portland, Oregon |
Three (3) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested in a public lake side-by-side. Three (3) pillows were floating in front of each, with three (3) books open on top of each pillow. The books were empty and had no identifiable branding. |
| 02/10/95 |
Baker County, Oregon |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested in a public pond facing one another. One (1) inflatable buoy manifested between them, along with three (3) wax shark fins, arranged in a circular formation around the SCP-XXXX-A instances. |
| 06/06/96 |
San Jose, California |
Three (3) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested in a body of water on private land with three (3) wooden trays and three (3) IBM Thinkpad 365XD personal computers. The computers were switched on but had very low battery. Text files containing garbled, incomprehensible text was left open on all three of the computers. |
| 08/01/98 |
St. Petersburg, Florida |
One (1) SCP-XXXX-A instance manifested in a public lake with one (1) personal computer of unknown make, shattered into multiple pieces. One (1) hammer and two (2) knives of indeterminate function were also found to have manifested with the wrecked computer. |
| 06/08/99 |
Reno, Nevada |
One (1) SCP-XXXX-A instance manifested in a public lake. No additional manifestations, if any, were ever found. |
| 01/01/00 |
Kansas City, Missouri |
Four (4) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested in a circular formation facing inwards in a pond on private land. Each instance was wearing a foil party hat. Several empty bottles of ██████ █████-brand beer had also manifested in the immediate vicinity of the instances. |
| 04/09/02 |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested very close to one another in a public lake. Two (2) plastic champagne flutes containing regular spring water had also manifested atop one (1) metal tray. |
| 07/03/04 |
Louisville, Kentucky |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested facing each other in a public lake. One (1) empty plastic carrier bag also manifested. |
| 02/09/05 |
Louisville, Kentucky |
Four (4) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested facing away from one another in a public pond. Four (4) pillows manifested floating in front of each instance, with a Dell Inspiron 9200 personal computer atop each. The computers lacked hard drives and were not functional when they were recovered. |
| 07/06/07 |
Bakersfield, California |
Four (4) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested facing inwards in a public pond. One (1) large tray with the board game Uno (in this instance, dated to 1998) unpacked on top visually resembled a table. |
| 04/09/08 |
Jacksonville, Florida |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested very close to one another in a public lake. The heads of both instances were stuck together at the 'faces' with a strong adhesive glue, giving the visual impression of kissing. |
| 02/08/10 |
Santa Ana, California |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested very close to one another in a body of water on private land. One (1) additional SCP-XXXX-A instance manifested at exactly the same time in a separate pond roughly 800m away. All three instances were found wearing foil party hats. |
| 08/09/11 |
Paterson, New Jersey |
Two (2) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested very close to one another in a pond on private land. One was split in half at the waist, floating face-up in the water. |
| 05/03/14 |
Kent, Washington |
Four (4) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested very close to one another in a rough circular formation in a body of water on private land. Between them was one (1) shattered metal tray and several plastic champagne flutes damaged to various extremes. |
| 03/08/15 |
Calhoun County, Arkansas |
One (1) SCP-XXXX-A instance manifested in a public lake. It was split in half at the waist, floating face-up in the water. Various sharp objects, including three (3) knives and a battery-powered chainsaw, also manifested within a 10m radius. |
| 11/09/15 |
Marin County, California |
Five (5) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested in a public lake. Four (4) instances were centered around a large slab of oak wood, crudely fashioned into the shape of a crucifix. The fifth instance was found crushed into several pieces, half-buried in the lake bed beneath them. |
| 12/04/18 |
Ellsworth, Maine |
Three (3) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested facing one another. One (1) large tray manifested between them, along with an unopened box of the 2009 edition of the board game Monopoly. All three instances were wearing foil party hats. |
| 12/02/19 |
Portland, Oregon |
Three (3) SCP-XXXX-A instances manifested side-by-side. Three (3) pillows manifested floating in front of each instance, atop which were three (3) waterlogged Apple iPhone 8 smartphones. One (1) other instance of SCP-XXXX-A manifested in a separate part of the lake, crushed into several pieces and half-buried in the lake bed. |
Artist's impression of SCP-XXXX. Hover to enlarge.
Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: Instances of SCP-XXXX cannot be tracked individually due to sparse distribution patterns. Due to the similarities of SCP-XXXX instances to other large cephalopods, public sightings of SCP-XXXX are frequently confused for sightings of giant squid, rendering SCP-XXXX effectively self-contained.
Deaths caused by the anomalous effects of SCP-XXXX's vocalisations are to be explained as circumstantial drowning accidents. If knowledge about the anomalous nature of SCP-XXXX is to be made public, MTF Gamma-5 ("Red Herrings") are to be deployed to propagate a cover story, defining a known psychological effect resulting in suicidal ideation in open bodies of water, similar to suicidal impulse or the 'high place phenomenon'.
Description: SCP-XXXX is the collective designation for an anomalous species of deep-sea cephalopod, thought to belong to an unidentified species or group of species within the Genus Architeuthidae. While no direct footage of SCP-XXXX exists, sonar scans have produced limited information about their life cycle and biology. SCP-XXXX are anatomically similar to Architeuthis dux, or giant squid, only larger and more sparsely populated. Male SCP-XXXX instances can grow up to sixteen meters in length from the posterior fins to the tip of the tentacles, an example of deep-sea gigantism; female specimens have been found significantly larger, some growing up to twenty meters or more in overall length.
SCP-XXXX inhabit the dark waters of the bathypelagic zone, which they share with a myriad of other deep sea organisms. While very little is known about the reproductive cycle or feeding habits of SCP-XXXX, they are thought to reproduce similarly to Architeuthis dux, with an egg-laying female: however, males lack a hectocotylus, the reproductive organ found in most species of squid, and it is unknown how spermatozoa is used to fertilise these eggs, if indeed it is used at all. SCP-XXXX most likely feed on a varied diet of small fish, crustaceans, and other cephalopods, however like Architeuthis dux they are opportunistic hunters and will prey on larger creatures such as sperm whales if it is convenient.
SCP-XXXX utilise an anomalous hunting mechanism to attract prey. SCP-XXXX instances possess sound-producing organs in their oral cavities which produce an anomalous, high-frequency vibration, best described as throbbing or pulsing, at an incredibly loud volume. This projection can be heard for miles and is perceptible in almost all hearing organisms, including humans. Research has found that certain frequencies produced by SCP-XXXX are exclusively responsible for the cognitohazardous effects of these sounds, though the mechanisms behind the effects of these anomalous frequencies are unknown.
The following is a recording of sounds produced by a lone instance of SCP-XXXX in the deeper waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Puerto Rico. This recording was taken at roughly three thousand and fifty meters (3050m) below sea level, at the edge of the Brownson Deep, on 04/11/09. (Anomalous frequencies have been removed and the following recording has been cleared of cognitohazardous effects.)
The cognitohazardous effects produced by these anomalous frequencies cause creatures which perceive them to feel an immediate, conscious compulsion to swim deeper, towards SCP-XXXX. Creatures with more simplistic nervous systems, such as fish and small cephalopods, are affected more severely than large mammals and other creatures with more complicated brain structures. The potency of these cognitohazardous effects increases exponentially based on an affected organism's proximity to SCP-XXXX.
The cognitohazardous effects produced by SCP-XXXX may be a hunting mechanism, used by SCP-XXXX instances to lure in prey until they arrive at a fatal pressure level, at which point the instance can close in and feed off the resulting detritus as it sinks down to the seabed.
Though it is unknown exactly when SCP-XXXX were first sighted, it is thought that the presence of SCP-XXXX and the cognitohazardous effects caused by their vocalisations are the foundation for cultural depictions of the giant squid or 'kraken' which can be seen throughout maritime history. It is thought that initial sightings of giant squids which influenced literary works such as Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea were in fact instances of SCP-XXXX, perhaps evidenced by their exaggerated size compared to the more common Architeuthis dux.
SCP-XXXX: The Call Of The Void
Author:
Haydenhead
Image Credit: https://www.maxpixel.net/Man-Actor-Suit-Adult-Business-People-Portrait-3252165
SCP-4999, circa 1973. Photo taken by professional photographer Gustav Bürger, three minutes before his death.
Special Containment Procedures: Due to SCP-4999's unwillingness or inability to appear before more than one person at a time, in addition to the subsequent and immediate death of any who witness it firsthand, SCP-4999 is effectively self-containing. Any reports of SCP-4999 manifestations captured by security camera feeds, photographs, or similar are to be investigated, and the media confiscated for analysis. All secondhand witnesses among the civilian populace are to be amnesticized.
Description: SCP-4999 is a humanoid entity of unknown origins and composition. Its physical appearance varies, with dark formalwear being the only constant between manifestations. Due to the rarity of recorded SCP-4999 manifestation events and the highly specific circumstances in which they occur, little data concerning its nature or intent is available; however, its behavior is consistent across all recorded sightings.
SCP-4999 will manifest only in the presence of one solitary human person at a time. All subjects recorded to date have been in terminally poor health, critically injured, or on their deathbeds, with SCP-4999 appearing nearby and within sight of the individual not more than 20 minutes before their expiration. SCP-4999 will only appear if the subject is conscious and alone. It will not appear if the subject is comatose, asleep, or unconscious; nor will it appear if they are being cared for by, in the company of, or otherwise being directly observed by another person.
Upon manifestation, the entity will seat itself directly adjacent to the subject's bed, if such furniture is available. If not, it will remain standing or sit on the floor/ground in whatever configuration will allow it direct physical access to the subject without causing disturbance. Once situated, it will remove a pack of cigarettes from its left inside jacket pocket and offer one to the subject. If the subject accepts, SCP-4999 will place it between their lips, remove one for itself, and light both. If the subject declines, SCP-4999 will light and smoke the cigarette instead. The entity will make physical contact with the subject, typically via holding their hand, placing its hand atop theirs, or resting its hand on their shoulder.
SCP-4999 will then remain with the subject, silent and unmoving, until they have passed away.
SCP-4999 has not been seen to engage in any other activity or behavior, and demanifests immediately upon the subject's death. The subject's cigarette, however, will remain, providing the only physical evidence of SCP-4999's presence.
No subject thus far has been seen to recoil from or otherwise resist the entity, nor have any attempted to engage it in conversation, despite multiple instances of subjects acknowledging the entity's presence via eye contact, adjusting posture to reciprocate or facilitate the entity's touch, breaking into tears when noticing its presence, or verbally thanking the entity when offered a cigarette.
Individuals affected by SCP-4999 share a number of common attributes. Research into identified subjects has indicated that SCP-4999 is more likely to appear if an individual:
- lives alone
- is nonreligious
- is impoverished or homeless
- displays a history of mental illness
- is a military veteran
- has no criminal record, or has never been convicted of a violent crime
- has no currently surviving family
- is unmarried or otherwise lacks a significant other
- has little to no social standing in their community
- does not exhibit any record of significant professional or personal accomplishments
- has few to no mutually beneficial interpersonal relationships,
or exhibits qualities and life history that have rendered the individual nondescript, anonymous, neglected, or otherwise unremarkable or insignificant by the standards of their respective society.
No testing involving SCP-4999 has been authorized or attempted, due to available data indicating that observation of a subject precludes its manifestation, as well as ethical concerns.
Discovery: SCP-4999 was initially discovered as the result of its emerging status as an urban legend, with footage of the entity appearing on hospital security cameras worldwide being disseminated via the Internet and various television programs. A minor disinformation program was put into effect to maintain this public image, and SCP-4999 was officially registered on November 27th, 1998.
In the years following SCP-4999's classification, additional research and cross-referencing with accounts of similar phenomena have suggested that while concrete evidence of SCP-4999 appearances has become more commonplace due to the advent of photography and video recording technology in the modern era, writings and artistic depictions of a figure exhibiting similar properties, behavior and physical resemblance to SCP-4999 exist throughout world history, culture, and mythology, with some accounts being thousands of years old - in some cases predating human civilization.
It is not currently understood how pre-modern cultures would have been capable of detecting SCP-4999's presence. Investigation is ongoing.