Item #: SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: SCP-XXXX’s location at the deepest point in the Marianas Trench (‘Challenger Deep’)is considered sufficient in containing it, as civilian interaction is unlikely, and expeditions to said location are easily tracked and monitored. A misinformation campaign is to be spread that SCP-XXXX is a massive, currently inactive thermal vent, and that any submersible in the area is to avoid the entrance by a distance of no less than 5 meters.
Provisional Site-86 has been built into the shelf overlooking SCP-XXXX’s entrance. This site is to be staffed with research staff, two guards, and D-class as requested for testing, in order to continue researching SCP-XXXX. Provisional Site-86 is also to research better methods of containment, should civilian technology increase to the point where expeditions to SCP-XXXX’s location become more accessible, thus risking a containment breach scenario. Provisional Site-86 is to be supplied with enough provisions to last a year, be considered fully autonomous, and staff are to be cycled in and out every six months.
Observing incident XXXX-1, SCP-XXXX anomalous effects are not to be used for human experimentation or in emergency situations
Description: SCP-XXXX is the designation for a circular cave on the seafloor and the space it leads into. It sits at a depth of 10,920 meters, and the entrance measures around 5 meters in diameter. The space therein appears to be sphere-like in structure, measuring roughly 60 meters in diameter at its widest point. Large tunnels seem to lead further down from SCP-XXXX’s core structure, their width varying, though averaging the same as XXXX’s entry point. It is unknown where these tunnels lead, as no manned expedition has been approved, and drones sent in have yielded an ‘out of range’ error after a certain distance. The current theory is that these tunnels lead somewhere extra-dimensional in nature, and not to the surface.
SCP-XXXX holds two main anomalous properties. Firstly: Hume readings in the area are incredibly low, indicating some force inside the cavern is altering reality. The side effects of this property make it so that conventional methods of terminating living organisms do not work (for reference please see Dr. Anna Lang’s research and SCP-3001). This includes the relief of the massive pressure typically found at this depth, as well as a lack of a need of oxygen. Secondly: small micro-organisms act wildly differently within the cavern. Unicellular life forms will rapidly evolve and bond into a variety of species (see Document-XXXX-A for details) largely resembling prehistoric life. Furthermore, should these microorganisms be presented with a larger, multicellular life form (ie: a human or aquatic species) with an open wound, they will bond to the organism and rapidly heal and regrow tissue as needed, with large gashes healing in seconds. As far as has been documented, these cells will become identical to the host, with little variation. Side effects have been reported however, and the investigation into this is considered a top priority for the project.
Addendum: Document XXXX-A
Below is provided a small list of organisms found floating inside of SCP-XXXX. Select few have been recovered and are kept at the Site-19 bio-containment laboratory. A full list can be found there, as well as access to the on site specimens by way of request to Dr. Mcneil.
Specimens from SCP-XXXX
Sea Cucumber and Shrimp Species: Multiple specimens of sea cucumber and shrimp species, identical to those found at the depth of SSCP-XXXX’s entrance, have been recovered from inside the cavern. These appear to be non-anomalous, though dissections have noticed some maintained injuries that appear to have been healed by XXXX’s property. Investigation into local fauna interaction is ongoing
Trilobites: Multiple specimens of a species resembling early trilobites. These specimens, believed to have gone extinct over 252 million years ago, have been spotted and recovered clinging to the walls of SCP-XXXX. Specimens have also been spotted crawling into the tunnels leaving XXXX, though why is still unknown.
Helicoprion: The largest known specimens formed by SCP-XXXX. Only one has been recovered, partially unformed (missing a small patch of tissue and a few organs), but measuring 8 meters in length. This theorized deceased species of shark went extinct 290 million years ago according to conventional science. Other specimens can be difficult to locate as they appear to quickly swim into the tunnels after being formed.
Multiple other small fish species are formed by SCP-XXXX though viewing and capturing them can be difficult, as they seem to make leaving via the deeper tunnels a priority. It is also theorized that Helicorpion is the apex of a food chain ‘manufacture’ by SCP-XXXX, though why and where these specimens go is currently unknown
Addendum: Document XXXX-B
Incident XXXX-1 refers to one of the first crews rotated into Provisional Site-86, and the current site and site protocols have been adjusted to prevent further incidents. Below is provided selections\of Researcher Kathrine Capullo's Site logs, including findings made by the crew as well as the first hand account of the incident
Date: 2/11/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
This is Dr. Katherine, marine biologist at Provisional Site-86, writing the first log for this six month shift. We were transferred here via submersible, dispatched from a Foundation vessel. The whole trip took about 3 days and now we’ve got a month until the mainland checks in here. We’ll be watching XXXX and logging stuff from it for about half a year and then get to move on to hopefully more interesting SCP’s.
The crew here includes me, the site director Samuels, the assistant researcher Taylor, the medical officer Amanda, and the two guards: Diego and Carmen. We’ll be getting D-class at the end of the month per approved experiment requests, kept in a small prison wing that can hold two at a time. Other than that we got the main space, galley, lab, crew quarter, storage, and the dock for the sub with an airlock. That’s about it in terms of what we’ve been left with in terms of standard gear, so I’d say that concludes this check in
The psych team back on the mainland instructed me to make these logs more ‘personal’, saying they think it’ll help keep up morale. First off, this is the first time I’ve worked at a Foundation site that tries to ‘keep spirits up’. Secondly, it’s ironic considering the fact this place looks like an 80’s sci fi horror. We’re only the second or third shift here and this site’s decently run down. At least as run down as it can be without the trench crushing us like a tin can. We’ll put in a report for a look over after we’re done here. For now I’m going to get some sleep.
Date: 5/11/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
Took one of the automated drones out, and into the cavern. Was working with Taylor, with Samuels supervising. The idea was to just to survey the core area, assess the state of what’s in there and see if anything major had changed during the transition period. Unsurprisingly the rocky walls were essentially the same as the previous crew had noted, so no new tunnels or anything. Noted down some trilobites, and actually left a small locator on a Helicoprion half formed, floating around the center of the cavern. We’re not expecting a breakthrough, but it’ll tell us when it starts to move. Chances are we’ll lose it in one of the tunnels, but on the off chance it goes topside, it is technically our job to stop it, though something like that hasn’t been reported yet.
That was mostly all the excitement today, accept for maybe Taylor. He was paying pretty close attention to the screen when a fish swam right past the lens and scared him pretty good. Couldn’t identify the fish but it made for a small laugh. Honestly he’s pretty young for his position, like 24 I think? I feel like the Foundation put him here cause this SCP doesn’t do much. The biggest mystery about it is where the tunnels go, and honestly after we find that I’d argue just sealing it up. We’ll keep doing little tests though, gotta do something to keep our sanity down here.
Date: 9/11/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
I take back everything bad I might’ve said about this SCP. This thing got
of the worst spot and honestly I couldn’t have imagined it could have pulled something like this off. The findings are staggering, but I mean I have to start from the beginning.
So Amanda was inspecting some of the air tanks for the pressure suits in the dock. She bumped one thing into another, and then one of these corroded tanks busted open. It was a massive bang, and when we all came to see what had happened, and when we found Amanda she had a gash in her side bigger in her side than my arm. Of all the people to get what was most likely a lethal wound, it was the medical officer that suffered it. The guards have minor medical training, but there was nothing any of us could have done about this: she had an exposed intestine and none of us had the knowledge or tools to fix that.
That’s when Samuels brought it up: throw her into the SCP. Best case it those little germs can fix the wound, worst case is we monitor her as she floats out there, and the low Hume keeps her alive a while longer. Taylor was the first to object, saying that the Foundation knows it can heal shrimp, we have no idea what it’ll do to a person. Of course there’s only so much arguing to be done when your teammate is dying on the floor. Diego put on a pressure suit and took Amanda into the sub, he piloted fast as he could into XXXX. When they were about where the shark was being formed he opened the cockpit and let it flood. It’s designed to take that, make it easy to recover in case something fails, and with Diego in a suit Amanda was the only one out in the water.
Kind of needless to say by now, but Amandas doing fine. She’s got a mark where it healed up but alive and walking. We were reprimanded by mainland for a breach of protocol, but considering we saved a teammate and made some progress on the SCP, no one’s actually too upset. We’ll be running more test on these kinds of properties soon, but genuinely I can say I’m more excited about this thing now.
Date: 1/12/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
So we were provided two D-class today. For simplicity they’ll be called D-1 and D-2. They were transferred with the end of the month check-in, with the request for a specific test subject for personnel. D-1 is a 40 year old female, average build. Arrested on some pretty nasty charges, but she’ll be our base for normal physiology and the effects SCP-XXXX has on the typical human body. D-2 is a 35 year old male, specifically requested because while he is mostly physically fit, he lost an arm in the incident leading to arrest. The idea is that Amanda will open up a wound on his amputation, and we’ll see if that heals as it is now, or if there’s the ability to regrow entire limbs.
Unfortunately we were off to a rough start. D-1 scratched Carmen during a transfer in a violent outburst. Didn’t have to terminate her but she managed to use her nails to get a decently nasty cut on Carmen’s neck. Knocked her out, trimmed her nails, and she’s been in one of the cells since. Before we could suggest treating Carmen, she suggested we use this as a minor experiment, with her escorting D-1 into the cavern, leaving her own cut open. We double checked with everyone, including mainland command, and with approval we’re allowing Carmen to take D-1 out in the sub. They’ll open the cockpit, and the low Hume levels will keep them from drowning before they close it again, and drain the sub before leaving. I’ll be including the results here, so we’ll see how it goes.
SCP-XXXX Experiment/D-1 Results: Exposure to SCP-XXXX’s water and microorganisms managed to heal the wound opened by Dr. Amanda. While there was no notable bone growth, there did appear to be extra tissue growth.
SCP-XXXX Experiment/Security Officer Carmen Ortiz Results: Security Officer Carmen Ortiz’s light neck wounds healed rapidly, closing torn skin within seconds. Inspection of the wounds shows no infection or deviation from other skin cells, though lighter pigmentation was noted.
Date: 16/12/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
The experiments here have gone better than any I’ve performed in former Foundation employment. What used to be one of the most uneventful SCP’s in the records is now on-track to becoming one of the most beneficials. The process has been pretty simple: Put the D-classes on anesthesia, open a wound of varying size, put them in the sub and get them to the cavern, note how it heals. Taylor and I have both been working with samples of the water in and out of the cave, and the best part is once you get in, there isn’t even a threat of drowning. Actually I performed an experiment on the Hume levels and reality differential myself: Besides the massive difference in pressure preventing a ‘death by crushing’, I was able to hold my breath without assistance for hours before swimming back to the sub. Even the sea life is harmless: every specimen formed by the cavern ducks into a tunnel.
We’re on a fast track to a breakthrough, and so long as it continues we’ll be planning a tunnel expedition by February. Taylor’s still a little spooked if I’m being honest. I don’t think he ever liked how dark the water is down here, and he’s definitely never trusted the SCP. We’ve managed to get him more wrapped up in work than fear, but I’m sure he’ll need more convincing later. For now though: Samuels seems happy ‘his’ site is doing so well, Amanda is staggered with the medical implications, the guards seem more relaxed, and I’m not gonna bother asking the D-class how they feel. I’ll be sure to log with more process in a bit.
Date: 30/12/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
So the experiments have continued to go well, even through and after our little ‘Holiday Break’, but we’ve hit a small roadbump. Amanda brought it up after breakfast one day: she had gotten a strange feeling where her first wound was, and she discovered what best can be called a ‘plate’. The skin’s all raised and hard, and I took a sample of it with her permission. Cellular structure seems to be close to the crustacean shell, which has some disturbing implications. Of course if the only side effects for healing any bodily wound is a crab shell over the affected space, this would only be a road bump to one of the Foundation’s biggest medical assets. Can probably be removed with a prescription of minor surgery.
That didn’t stop Taylor of course. He immediately snapped, guessing it’s from the stress over the last month. He said we should be throwing Amanda into one of the cells, that this is bad news for the whole project. Carmen and Diego had to restrain him, and he’s been cooling off in his room. Amanda was a little shaken but says she gets the fear. She’s a doctor though so she’s more focused on the solution than the problem right now. Have to report this to command and see what steps we take.
Date: 10/1/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
Command skipped a check-in, said it was for a quarantine after that last discovery. Can’t say I blame them, and I’ve been sick to my stomach ever since.
Let me make this official: SCP-XXXX has a major side effect, so far only noted in human life, and it occurs after sea water from XXXX makes contact with even the smallest orifice, such as a paper cut.
First is the total cellular regeneration of any exposed wound
Second is the mutation of said cells, usually into tissue of typical sea life
Third is the spread of that tissue to all non affected tissue.
Fifth is paralysis brought on by the mutation of tissue to things resembling crab shells, mollusk, coral, oysters, etc.
The sixth step I’ll explain in detail: We had left Amanda in her quarters, as a modified morgue after step five, which took a little over a week to happen. We thought she was done for, especially since we’ve all developed symptoms: The D-class are a hair breath for paralysis, both guards have oysters and coral on every limb, and Samuels, Taylor, and I all have a rash that looks like barnacles on different parts of our body. We were meeting on what the next step should be, when we heard the door break down. Amanda was totally covered, looked like a human coral reef, but we saw her crawling on all fours as fast as possible through the halls. It clearly wasn’t natural, I have to emphasize: this thing wasn’t human anymore. We could hear her f***ing bones restructure to fit how this thing was making her crawl. Before Carmen or Diego could reach their weapons, she crawled into the dock and slipped into the water. We caught her on the cameras swimming into XXXX, and haven’t been able to recover her since.
Every crew member's been exposed somehow. The D-Class were pretty directly exposed, Samuels, Taylor and I were working with the water and cave directly for two months, and Carmen and Diego managed to get exposed in between it all. I honestly can’t say how long any of us are going to hold out now.
Date: 15/1/2011
Writer Dr. Katherine Capullo
Hi.
I’m writing this from the sub. After Amanda ‘left’, the others’ symptoms developed even faster. The guards were first, within the day of Carmen turning and scuttling into the cave, Diego followed. The D-class were the next day. D-2 managed to regrow his arm into a massive, coral-like growth and break the door down. We couldn’t have stopped them even if we tried. Samuels turned last night. Taylor didn’t even let it happen. I left him in his room.
I wanna say something. Something on the record I thought of as this hell-site broke down. I’m not angry at this cave. I’m sad what’s happened, but I’m not angry about it, and I don’t hate it. This isn’t a monster that kills humans, no sadistic old man that melts your skin, or a machine that drives you crazy. It's whole purpose is to make life. We still don’t know where it puts it, but this dumb cave just makes life. I think between the Foundation’s work and normal life, we get to forget humans aren’t the only life, and we’re by far from the first. We messed with this cave thinking it would help human life specifically, not realizing fast enough that's not what it does. It didn’t kill or take my teammates, they willingly exposed themselves to it, and in time it just did what it was meant to do: make more life.
The Foundation will find this last log in the site computer. I’m sending it from the sub, where I’m writing now. I’m gonna open the hatch before I turn and just drift into the tunnels. I don’t know if I’m going to die, maybe I’ll wake up as some coral reef somewhere, but let this be my last note for the Foundation: Leave the cave alone.
-Dr. Katherine Cappulo
After no transmissions between the first of the month and the expected check-in date, MTF Gamma-6 was deployed in way of the typical check-in squad. Investigation of the site found minimal damage to the Provisional Site-86, including the damage of doors, as well as the D-class cells. Research Assistant Taylor was found dead in his bunk, via suicide with one of the secuirty officers firearms. Researcher Katherine was found floating near the middle of SCP-XXXX’s main chamber, comatose and covered in multiple sea life specimens. After determining the sea life to be anomalous, Researcher Katherine was admitted to Site-17’s medical wing, where the attached sea life was surgically removed and stored. Currently Katherine Cappulo is still comatose and awaiting debriefing, as well as possible containment.
Addendum: Note from O5 Council
To whom it may concern:
There have been rumors circulating about Incident XXXX-1 and Provisional Site-86, some including Site Directors and High Command, so I have decided to address these rumors. Yes, an experiment including a small number of D-class was proposed upon SCP-XXXX’s discovery, and denied on ethical grounds. Yes, Provisional Site-86 was proposed after this experiment was denied. No, Provisional Site-86 is not meant to be an experiment on the crew staffing it. No, there are no plans for a major overhaul of Provisional Site-86, nor is the Site scheduled for decommissioning. Finally, no, as of now, with the information the Foundation has, there is no intention to reclassify SCP-XXXX to ‘Euclid’ or ‘Keter’. There are many questions left unanswered by SCP-XXXX, and while this incident was unfortunate, it was considered to be human error, and not caused by some kind of memetic compulsion. The containment procedures have been adjusted, and the next crew is expected to rotate in, and do their job accordingly.
…O5-██