Bone on the Bayou

SCP-5262

Item #: 5262

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: The land surrounding SCP-5262, approximately 63.7 ha, has been purchased by The Foundation through a shell company and has received the designation of Site 935. Access to Site 935 is restricted to personnel with Level 3 security clearance and no fewer than five members of Site 935's personnel must be certified fluent by the Standard Language Aptitude Battery (SLAB) in at least one of the following: French, English, or Latin.

In addition to standard physical examinations, personnel at Site 935 are required to undergo Level 2 cardiovascular and respiratory examinations on a bi-weekly basis. Should any personnel show a high concentration of ██████ (9.6 mg/L or greater) in their breath or should their lung capacity drop below 85%, the effected personnel are to be moved to the nearest Foundation medical facility and all remaining personnel are to undergo the aforementioned Level 2 examinations within 12 hours of discovery. Should any other personnel show similar test results or report any sightings of SCP 5262-2 during this 12 hour period, Site 935 will be placed under immediate level 3 security lockdown until all effected personnel are identified and any sightings of SCP 5262-2 are confirmed and reported to both the Director of Site 935 and the commanding officer of Mobile Task Force Upsilon-14 (Swamp Things).

Upon activation of MTF Upsilon-14, all other personnel stationed at Site 935 are to equip Level 2 atmospheric filtration devices. These devices include, but are not limited to positive-pressure SCBA breathing apparatuses, Level C gas-tight rubberized suits, and Level C eye protection. MTF Upsilon-14 will be equipped with the aforementioned Level 2 devices, along with Level 3 incendiary agents such as flamethrowers, napalm, and phosphorus-based explosive devices.

Description: SCP 5262 is an area of swampland located approximately ██ kilometers North-East of ████████████, Alberta, Canada. The area surrounding SCP 5262 consists primarily of deciduous forest-land and is inhabited by the flora and fauna common to SCP 5262's local biome. The marsh's geography shows heavy terrain decay and rot consistent with typical swamp geology, however, the high concentrations of Typha Latifolia, commonly referred to as "Cattails", have been shown to possess abnormally high concentrations of the compounds Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃), Calcium Phosphate (Ca₃(PO₄)₂), and elemental Arsenic. Since the events of █-███-2017, all instances of these plants have been classified under the designation of SCP 5262-1.

SCP 5262 has proven to be difficult to navigate, as instances of SCP 5262-1 often obscure or completely block potential pathways into the geographic center of the swamp. Site 935 has been built near the outer banks of SCP 5262 and houses no fewer than 5 Foundation standard fan-boats, commonly referred to by the nickname "bog buggies," and though the site has direct access to SCP 5262's main waterways, there has yet to be a successful surface-level navigation of the entire area. Given this difficulty, aerial technology such as infrared topography scanners and sonar mapping have been employed and have experienced greater success.

Individuals entering the vicinity of SCP 5262 generally report the scent of decay and putrefaction common to a swamp, however, all individuals report experiencing a feelings of unease. In some cases, individuals interviewed have stated that they have experienced what are assumed to be auditory hallucinations and physical discomfort. No reported instances of these hallucinations or physical discomfort have been evaluated to require medical intervention and are commonly alleviated upon entering Site 935's perimeter. See Addendum 5262-2 or Mission Log 5262-A-1 for further information regarding these sensations.

Addendum 5262-1

The following is a transcription of a recorded debriefing following a standard exploration mission in sector ███ of SCP 5262. Sector ███ remains unexplored due to interference by SCP 5262-1. Alternative methods of exploration and reconnaissance are discussed.

Interviewer: Dr. Melinda Swissen

Interviewee: Sgt. Jonathan Yates

Dr. Swissen: The time is approximately 15:45 on █-███-2017. I am Dr. Melinda Swissen, and I will be conducting this debriefing. Sargent, please state your name for the record.

Sgt. Yates: My name is Sargent Jonathan Yates. Mission commander of exploration mission 5262-███-3.

Dr. Swissen: Thank you, Sargent Yates. Please describe the nature of your mission and note any findings your men or you, yourself have found.

Sgt. Yates: At approximately 06:30 hours, my team and I set out in one of the site's bog buggies and proceeded to our target destination. The bog is often foggy in the morning due to the overall humidity of the area and the cooler temperatures at night, so we decided to set out early and move slowly in order to safely proceed to our target destination and minimize any potential mishaps with the boat. We arrived to our target destination at approximately 08:30 hours and proceeded with the rest of our mission.

Upon arrival at our destination, Researcher Hazel MacMillen proceeded to collect samples of the cattails in the area. I think eight or nine samples were collected in total. She tried to collect more, but she appeared to experience some difficulty in the gathering process.

Dr. Swissen: What were these difficulties, Sargent?

Sgt. Yates: I'm not exactly sure, Doctor. MacMillen noted that the plants in that particular area were exceptionally hard. What I mean by that is that they were physically hard; like stone or rock. This drew her concern, as she stated these plants are normally quite soft and easy to harvest.

Dr. Swissen: Did Researcher MacMillen note anything else about the cattails?

Sgt. Yates: Yes… as a matter of fact she did. After she broke out her cutting tools and successfully harvested her first two plants, she completed a field chemical analysis of some scrapings she took from the plants. She seemed quite shocked to find out whatever it was that they were made of. She said that the plants were like very dense bones, rather than plants. I was skeptical at first, but after handling a few of those things myself, they definitely felt heavier and significantly more stiff than I would have expected. I grew up in █████████, ma'am. I've seen my fair share of cattails and not a single one of them had ever been like that.

Dr. Swissen: Interesting. Did you discover anything else about the area?

Sgt. Yates: Not after that, however, I would like to state for the record that MacMillen noted that she felt very uneasy after harvesting the plants. She said that she felt like someone or something was watching her. My men and I joked that someone was watching her, and that someone was us, but she insisted that it was something else. She noted that it felt like she was about to be attacked, but we did a visual scan of our area and no threats had manifested at that time.

Dr. Swissen: Did she specify what she thought was watching her, or was it just a general feeling?

Sgt. Yates: Yes. She said that she felt like there was some sort of predator out there. She described it as something like, 'that feeling a gazelle gets right before the lion pounces,' or something like that. I can't remember her exact wording.

Dr. Swissen: Did any other noteworthy things happen on this mission?

Sgt. Yates: No, ma'am. Outside of that moment, the mission was fairly routine, though MacMillen did seem a bit unnerved after she collected her samples and we made our way back to the site. She kept saying that she was seeing something moving in the brush between all the cattails, but we couldn't confirm the presence of any other lifeforms, anomalous or otherwise.

Once we returned, MacMillen placed her samples in a secure bin near the docks for collection and went back into the base. Once she got back in, she started to settle down a little bit. We all had a bit of a laugh, brushed off the earlier unease, and went about our duties for the rest of the day.

Dr. Swissen: Thank you, Sargent. That will conclude this debriefing. If you think of anything else, please contact me directly and we will discuss it.

Sgt. Yates: Thank you, Doctor.

Dr. Swissen: The time is now approximately 16:00 hours. Follow-up with Researcher MacMillen recommended. Further aerial recon of the mission area is also recommended and will be proposed to Site Director. Confirmation of initial cattail composition tests will be requested as well. No further action from Sgt. Yates is required at this time. End log.

Following this debriefing, Dr. Swissen approached Site Director Mikael Sjöström and requested the aerial reconnaissance and testing she noted in her debriefing. Both requests were granted.

A standard Foundation Aerial Recon Expedition System (ARES) drone was sent to the final destination of exploration mission 5262-███-3. Upon arrival, the drone immediately identified two unusual heat signatures within the area. These heat signatures had the unusual property of being significantly cooler than the surrounding environment by approximately 10°C. Visual confirmation of any lifeform was unsuccessful.

Level 3 composition tests were completed on the gathered samples and confirmed Researcher MacMillen's initial findings. Further tests revealed the composition of the cattails to contain several elements and chemicals not commonly found in bone. Most notably, these substances include anomalous concentrations of elemental Arsenic, elemental Hydrogen, and Hydrogen Disulfide; yet the plants do not appear to contain any amount of cellulose or water.