Per 
SCP-XXXX-A-03, photographed during testing.
SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Euclid
Special Containment Procedures: The current instance of SCP-XXXX-A is to remain locked in the glass display case designated for this purpose in the kitchen at the the site-15 cafeteria unless it is being tested. A video feed of this display case is to be recorded at all times and archived on the site-15 intranet. Old footage lacking any detected anomalies may be deleted after one week.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a phenomenon affecting most of the Foundation's automated detection and early warning systems, including foundation webcrawlers, WATCHDOG, RIDDEN TONGUE, and many of the algorithms developed through Project MEDUSA. Affected systems will occasionally incorrectly identify SCP-XXXX-A as anomalous. The cause of SCP-XXXX is currently unknown. Containing or eliminating SCP-XXXX is a current optimization target of Project MEDUSA.
A non-exhaustive list of notable incidents follows. (For a more complete list, refer to Document-XXXX-Incidents-Master-List. )
False Positive: The earliest recorded incident suspected to be a result of SCP-XXXX's influence occurred when a digital photograph of Jr. Assistant Franklin's lunch, (which he uploaded to a popular photo distribution site in violation of Site-15 InfoSec policy,) was picked up by Foundation webcrawlers. Specifically, a light source reflected in the surface of his coffee was incorrectly flagged as depicting SCP-087.
Actions Taken: Containment Integrity of SCP-087 was verified. Manual observation of the uploaded photo indicated it was a likely false positive. Jr. Assistant Franklin was reprimanded and compelled to re-take his Site-15 Introductory Training Course and InfoSec Competency Exam.
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: One D-class personnel, terminated while verifying SCP-087 presence in containment. Time and attention of various associated research and containment staff.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $13,0174.27
False Positive: A Kant Counter in Site-15 Hallway 2B registered sudden fluctuations in reality levels, just as Dr. Kotb walked past carrying a mug of tea towards his office.
Actions Taken: Wing 2 of Site-15 subject to immediate automatic lockdown. Site security forces are scrambled to respond to imminent Containment Breach. MTF Omega-12 ("Achilles' Heels") contacted and placed on standby. Wing-2 swept by security personnel armed with automatic weapons and Kant counters. Scranton Reality Anchor deployed. Dr. Kotb temporarily detained. Initial Kant Counter readings forwarded to MTF Omega-12, who conclude that they resemble typical background count. Incident classified as a false positive. Hume counter taken offline for maintenance; no hardware or software defects could be found.
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Near-total interruption of work in Wing 2 of Site-15 for a period of no less than 48 minutes. Dr. Kotb detained and unable to work for at least 3 hours. Unnecessary activation of MTF Omega-12. Unnecessary deployment of Site-15's reserve Scranton Reality Anchor. Hume counter out of commission for 48 hours. Dry cleaning of Dr. Kotb's trousers. (Note added by Dr. Kotb: "I want to stress, this was a tea spill.") Time and attention of various associated research and containment staff. Impact to site morale and subsequent psychological counseling.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $559,749.36
Note: This phenomenon has since been termed "Hume Percolation" by researchers studying SCP-XXXX, and affects Kant Counters approximately 43% of the time when they are used on SCP-XXXX-A instances. Various experimental modifications to the stock Kant Counter design have not appreciably reduced this rate.
False Positive: During an internal review of Site-15's incident reports, Dr. Aldean noted that false positives were up 43% over the previous quarter, and a copy the report was emailed to the Site Director. Every instance of the phrase "false positive" was censored by SCiPNET anti-memetic software as containing a lethal cognitohazard, while the name of the researcher filing the report was flagged as matching known agents of the GoIs Anderson Robotics, Gamers Against Weed, and Herman Fuller's Circus of the Disquieting simultaneously.
Actions Taken: Dr. Aldean was taken into custody, pending internal investigation. Background checks revealed no link between Dr. Aldean or any Foundation GoI. The original copy of Dr. Aldean's report was procured from their work laptop. Analysis of the original report by MTF Eta-10 ("See No Evil") revealed no cognitohazards. Lists of current and former members of the relevant GoIs were manually examined, and no name resembling Dr. Aldean's was found. Project MEDUSA team informed of the false positive. Automated testing of SCiPNET censorship algorithms found no errors; manual analysis of the code is considered impractical.
A more through investigation into recent false positives was launched, and ceramic mugs were determined to be the common factor in all but one case. (The outlyer being the result of human error— a "typo.") Manual testing of all Site-15 ceramic mugs with a handheld Kant Counter revealed the presence of SCP-XXXX-A. It was assigned the item number XXXX, and provisional containment procedures were drawn up, with the assumption that the source of the anomaly was that particular mug.
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Two internal investigations. Redundant background checks. Dr. Aldean taken off duty for 6 weeks. Unnecessary activation and deployment of MTF Eta-10. Withheld back pay awarded to Dr. Aldean. Unnecessary assignment of high-value storage locker and unnecessary deployment of Scranton Reality Anchor (see INCIDENT-XXXX-A-0008 below.) Time and attention of various associated research and containment staff. Impact to site morale and subsequent psychological counseling.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $908,617.03
False Positive: Foundation-wide daily digests of incident reports began listing recurring containment breaches of SCP-XXXX.
Actions Taken: The original ceramic mug was inspected and found to be in containment, but non-anomalous. The remaining cafeteria mugs were subjected to an extensive battery of tests, which revealed the following properties:
- There is a high likelyhood that almost any automated test conducted on a Site-15 ceramic mug will return a false positive, the first time that test is performed.
- Repeated tests and manual examination of the test results is usually sufficient to "debunk" the initial test results as false positives.
- Only one ceramic mug at a time is the target of these false positives.
- Destruction of the mug or its removal from the Site-15 cafeteria for a period of more than 30 minutes results in a different mug within the cafeteria becoming the new target of the false positives.
- Removing all mugs from the cafeteria results in the closest mug to the cafeteria becoming the new target.
- The Site-15 kitchen "counts" as part of the cafeteria for the purposes of mug containment.
The following anomalous properties were detected during this round of tests, but were later confirmed to be false positives:
- 12 matches to known SCP-objects
- 7 lethal cognitohazards
- 17 non-lethal mind-affecting cognitohazards
- 24 matches to digitally-propagating anomalies.
- 3 spectral beings detected
- 27 matches to mundane infosec threats
- hazardous levels of heat, cold, and radiation
- deadly amperage of electricity
- gravitational lensing
- time dialation
- 17 auditory anomalies
- 8 ties to Foundation GoIs
- frequent Hume Percolation
Later, a visual representation of some of these test results was created for training purposes:
None of the detected anomalies could be verified by human researchers. No adverse effects were apparent to personnel on-location in the cafeteria.
Containment procedures and item description were updated, with SCP-XXXX now referring to the phenomenon generating false positives, and the physical mug re-designated as SCP-XXXX-A-03 (since two instances of SCP-XXXX-A had been deliberately destroyed during testing.) MTF Mu-4 ("Debuggers") was apprised of the situation.
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Site-15 Cafeteria shut down for remainder of day. Foundation catering services retained; deployed in Site-15 lobby. Some 147 follow-up tests performed using various instruments, procedures, materials, and software. Extensive consultation with various Mobile Task Forces. Time, labor and morale.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $36,452.16
Note: Following this incident, MTF Mu-4 members stationed at Site-15 began volunteering to assist with SCP-XXXX research between deployments. After careful consideration, we have recorded this development as neutral in terms of budget allocation.
Confirmed Anomalous Activity: After several months of uneventful containment, SCP-XXXX-A-003 began anomalously rotating in its glass display case during lunch hour. Kitchen staff quickly noticed the activity, vacated the kitchen, and alerted security staff. Security cameras show the mug quickly spinning up to a speed surpassing the capture rate of the camera. After two minutes, it bursts into bright green flame and shortly thereafter explodes. 12 separate anomalies were logged on a single frame of this footage, during the moment of initial combustion, all 12 of these were later debunked manually.
Actions Taken: An analysis of internal procedures showed that researchers were no longer taking the false positives seriously. It had become commonplace for researchers to delay SCP-XXXX-A testing until the end of one's shift, or even postpone it until the next day. When interviewed, more than one staff member admitted to devoting less than full attention to the debunking process.
Several researchers were reprimanded for complacency. A memo from the O5-council stressed the importance of taking every test seriously, especially now that genuine anomalous activity had been confirmed. Controls were implemented, including dedicated digital surveillance of SCP-XXXX-A's display case. Emergency steel shutters were added to the display case, to be automatically deployed in the event that any anomaly is detected in the video. This was later reinforced with a dedicated Scranton Reality Anchor, and other countermeasures designed to foil specific categories of anomalies.
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Emergency evacuation and lockdown of the Site-15 cafeteria. Foundation catering services retained. Extensive damage to the kitchen, including damage to stored foodstuffs and appliances, all of which had to be replaced and the kitchen decontaminated. Time, labor and morale.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $874274.34
Note: The extensive rebuild of SCP-XXXX-A's display case is mandated by containment procedure, and as such is not factored into this cost analysis. (Save for the destruction of the original case, which was valued at $50.)
False Positive: Units representing MTF Epsilon-11 ("Nine-Tailed Fox",) MTF Mu-3 ("Highest Bidders",) and MTF Beta-7 ("Maz Hatters") all converged on Site-15 at the same time. Each was following up their own leads and intelligence pertaining to missions related to their task forces' individual mandates. (All three leads have since been debunked as false, although in MTF Mu-3's case, this could not be directly traced back to any specific Foundation computer system.) It is noteworthy that this incident caught Site-15 staff completely off-guard, as no process or program had alerted anyone connected to Site-19.
Actions Taken: All three task forces read the Containment Procedures for SCP-XXXX en-route. Upon arrival, after a brief moment of confusion, MTF Epsilon-11 took charge. Unit leaders proceeded through the cafeteria into the kitchen, while the remaining task force members secured the perimeter of the cafeteria. SCP-XXXX-A-06 was tested a total of nine times in the space of twelve minutes. No anomalies could be confirmed. Task Force leaders apologized to the kitchen staff for any alarm, and all three MTF's left without further incident. (After-action reports were later filed by all three MTFs, but due to the natures of their respective missions, are only available in a heavily-redacted form.)
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Travel costs for three mobile task forces. Time and labor. Negligible cafeteria downtime.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $2,137.35
False Positive: When SCP-████ recently breached containement, it is believed to have sought refuge in the LED display of the Site-15 Cafeteria menu. At about the time this is thought to have occurred, the menu on the video feed was flagged as SCP-████ for one frame. The next frame, SCP-XXXX-A was flagged as SCP-████ for one frame. SCP-████ is absent for the remainder of the video footage.
Actions Taken: Standard Containment Breach protocols were followed. No trace of SCP-████ could be found afterwards. It is unclear whether SCP-████ was ever actually in the Cafeteria, but the Cafeteria menu LED display is presumed to be its logical destination, given its movements during the Breach and its maximum broadcast range. Researchers were unable to discern any method, anomalous or otherwise, whereby a mundane ceramic mug like SCP-XXXX-A-08 could have even momentarily hosted an electronic process like SCP-████ .
Real and Hidden Costs to the Foundation: Negligible cafeteria downtime.
Estimated drain on Foundation resources: $0
Note: The decision of whether to reclassify SCP-████ as Uncontained or Neutralized is currently under consideration by the 05 Council.
image credits:
https://flic.kr/p/r71oWw by Elliot Benjamin, CC BY 2.0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic#/media/File:Ceramic_fractured_SEM.TIF by Kleptopatra, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://polubeda.com/i-m-not-there by Pol Ubeda Hervas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCP_Foundation#/media/File:SCP_Foundation_(emblem).svg CC BY-SA 3.0
SCP-XXXX-A-003, photographed prior to testing.
SCP-XXXX
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: The current instance of SCP-XXXX-A is to remain locked in the glass display case designated for this purpose in the kitchen at the the site-15 cafeteria unless it is being tested. A video feed of this display case is to be recorded at all times and archived on the site-15 intranet. Old footage lacking any detected anomalies may be deleted after one week.
Testing is authorized in the event that any Foundation software, intelligence, or process identifies SCP-XXXX-A as potentially anomalous. Such testing is to be performed in person by a Foundation specialist, agent, or mobile task force member with training appropriate to the type of anomaly detected. Whenever feasible, a junior researcher familiar with the type of anomaly being tested should observe these tests. Test results are to be logged, and in the event of a positive result, the test is to be repeated an additional two times. If both subsequent tests show no anomalies, SCP-XXXX-A is to be returned to its cupboard and treated as non-anomalous.
In the event that either one of the two subsequent tests confirm the results of the first, or that testing identifies any new anomalies, the SCP-XXXX-A instance is to receive its own item number and class and new containment procedures are to be drawn up for it. An email is to be sent to the Site-15 administrator, specifically notifying them of this occurrence.
If an instance of SCP-XXXX-A is thus reclassified, or if the current instance is somehow destroyed or otherwise leaves the site-15 cafeteria, the next instance of SCP-XXXX-A is to be procured and contained as per the procedures outlined in this document as soon as it is identified by Foundation systems.
Description: SCP-XXXX is a phenomenon currently affecting most of the Foundation's automated detection and early warning systems, including foundation webcrawlers, WATCHDOG, RIDDEN TONGUE, and many of the algorithms developed through Project MEDUSA. Affected systems will occasionally incorrectly identify SCP-XXXX-A as anomalous. The cause of SCP-XXXX is currently unknown. Eliminating or containing SCP-XXXX is currently an optimization target of Project MEDUSA.
SCP-XXXX-A is an ordinary ceramic mug originating from the Site-15 cafeteria. In the event that SCP-XXXX-A ever destroyed or removed from the Site-15 cafeteria, a different ceramic mug will become the new instance of SCP-XXXX-A. Removing all ceramic mugs from Site-15 (for example, by switching to styrofoam cups,) results in the new SCP-XXXX-A manifesting outside of Site-15 in a nearby town. (It is generally thought that the closest available ceramic mug to Site-15 becomes the new SCP-XXXX-A. However, confirming this is difficult, since it may be days or even weeks before such an instance is detected by one of the Foundation's automated systems and retrieved.)
For visual examples of anomalous properties incorrectly attributed to SCP-XXXX-A, refer to infographic SCP-XXXX-I1.
The cause of SCP-XXXX currently remains unknown. At the time of writing, SCP-XXXX-A instances have been tested over 270 times by various teams, experts, and specialists. Thus far, no anomalous properties detected by automated systems have been confirmed by live testing.
(Approximately 3% of the time, human error results in an erroneous confirmation, but these are eventually debunked after careful review of testing footage and other in-house audits. The practice of repeating positive tests two additional times and tasking a junior researcher with monitoring the tests has reduced the rate of human error to near-zero.)
It is estimated that these superfluous tests consume some $17,000 of Foundation resources per year, mostly in travel expenses. However, this cost has been deemed an acceptable loss, and has been budgeted for by Site-15's administration. The process of continually debunking false positives provides valuable hands-on experience for Foundation employees in training, as well as generating a massive body of data that researchers hope may eventually elucidate the true nature of SCP-XXXX, and help pinpoint its source.
image credits:
https://flic.kr/p/r71oWw by Elliot Benjamin, CC BY 2.0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceramic#/media/File:Ceramic_fractured_SEM.TIF by Kleptopatra, CC BY-SA 3.0
https://polubeda.com/i-m-not-there by Pol Ubeda Hervas
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCP_Foundation#/media/File:SCP_Foundation_(emblem).svg CC BY-SA 3.0
One component of SCP-XXXX, prior to containment.
Article Name: "Tutorial Level"
Item Number: SCP-XXXX
Special Containment Procedures: New instances of SCP-XXXX encountered in the field are to be photographed and then removed using abrasive particulate blasting methods. Whenever possible, Foundation personnel are to leverage existing urban beautification programs maintained by local governments to reduce the cost of discovering and removing new SCP-XXXX instances.
Any Red Walker Events occurring outside of Containment are to be covered up using a "lone gunman" or "terrorist attack" cover story as appropriate, and any video footage surfacing of SCP-XXXX-1 performing anomalous feats is to be discredited as "fake" and confiscated. Use of amnesics is authorized as necessary for the purposes of maintaining secrecy.
A single instance of SCP-XXXX (consisting of all three murals, including the sections of wall they were originally painted on,) has been relocated to Armed Biological Containment Area-14. It has been integrated into the walls of a firing range constructed specifically for containment purposes. Under no circumstances is any door to be constructed or installed physically closer to any part of SCP-XXXX than the steel security door near the backstop of this firing range. Automated turrets have been erected to immediately terminate any emerging instances of SCP-XXXX-1. These are to be maintained in operational condition at all times, and kept stocked with sufficient ammunition to fire continuously should multiple consecutive Red Walker Events occur.
Description: SCP-XXXX an anomalous series of three graffiti murals, each depicting a stylized humanoid figure wearing a long, flowing red scarf. (This entity is hereafter referred to as SCP-XXXX-1.) The murals are usually encountered in a specific sequence on the walls of a dead-end alley or hallway, but have occasionally been encountered in other urban settings. The first depicts SCP-XXXX-1 walking or running, surrounded by arrows radiating outwards from it. The second depicts the figure jumping. The third depicts the figure wielding some variety of weapon, usually a gun or a sword. The second and third murals in the sequence are usually accompanied by a single letter, number, or other glyph.
When all three murals are observed by a human subject, a Red Walker Event has a high probability of immediately occurring. During a Red Walker Event, the door located physically near the first mural opens, and SCP-XXXX-1 emerges from the doorway into our reality. Spontaneous Red Walker events will also occasionally occur even if the murals are ignored.
SCP-XXXX-1 is an anomalous entity superficially resembling a human wearing a long (est. 2 meters) red silk scarf. Its ethnicity, and mode of dress are typical of the region in which the murals are located. (Since the Foundation affected containment, this has usually meant either a D-class orange jumpsuit or a Jr. Researcher's lab coat, but always with the presence of the telltale red scarf.) Approximately 90% of SCP-XXXX-1 instances are male. To date, no SCP-XXXX-1 instance has responded to Foundation attempts at communication.
Once manifested, SCP-XXXX-1 begins exploring its environment. It movements are slow and tentative, at first, and occasionally uncoordinated. This changes once it observes the first mural.
Upon seeing the mural, SCP-XXXX-1's movements become more adept. It is likely to begin running, rather than walking, at this point, and this is usually where it begins demonstrating the ability to quickly turn and reverse direction.
When it encounters the second mural, SCP-XXXX-1 almost always begins jumping around in an anomalous manner. Instances have demonstrated anomalous abilities such as immediate mastery of advanced parkour, the ability to jump several times their own height, the ability to jump again while already airborne, the ability to change direction in midair without regard for momentum, and other physically improbable maneuvers.
Upon seeing the third mural, SCP-XXXX-1 immediately brandishes an instance of whatever weapon is depicted in it, even if no such weapon was visible on their person beforehand. From this point onward, SCP-XXXX-1 becomes extremely dangerous, attacking any human or animal in sight without provocation, discharging firearms or other long-range weaponry in enclosed spaces, and using its anomalous movement capabilities to harm or kill bystanders. Upon termination, instances of SCP-XXXX-1 explode into a shower of blood, leaving no corpse. DNA testing reveals no match to any person in any known database, but all recovered samples share 93% common ancestry despite sometimes drastic differences in phenotypic expression.
Note that instances of SCP-XXXX-1 are capable of immediate self-termination. This generally occurs instantaneously the moment they are captured, rendered unconscious, or otherwise incapacitated. For this reason, proactive termination of SCP-XXXX-1 is considered a viable method of containing SCP-XXXX. Use of poison, radiation, vacuum and other such highly-efficient means of termination usually results in subsequent instances of SCP-XXXX-1 emerging immune to these effects, but so far, no instance of SCP-XXXX-1 has proven immune to small arms fire. This containment strategy is currently under review by the Ethics Committee.
Only one "live" instance of SCP-XXXX-1 has ever been observed at a time, but new instances can theoretically emerge from the door as fast as existing instances die. (See Incident XXXX-2019-05-07, below.)
Incident XXXX-2019-05-07 While one of the two M60 sentry turrets was offline for maintenance, a spontaneous Red Walker Event began. New instances emerged from the door as fast as it could swing open, until a ricocheting bullet struck the doorknob of the steel security door, preventing it from closing properly. This allowed successive instances of SCP-XXXX-1 to emerge at a rate basically equivalent to the turret's rate of fire. The gun eventually jammed, and SCP-XXXX-1 terminated the maintenance technicians servicing the other turret and breached containment. (The two M60 sentry turrets have since been replaced with four M134 Minigun sentry turrets.)
During the containment breach, SCP-XXXX-1 was terminated an estimated 37 times by site security forces, with each instance seeming to learn from the mistakes of previous instances. At approximately 13:27, security camera footage shows SCP-XXXX-1 narrowly avoiding the timed electrical trap outside of SCP-████'s containment chamber. It then proceeds to double back through the trap again, bends over, and spray-paints the words "PAUSE HERE" on the concrete floor.
After the breach, maintenance staff found they were unable to paint over or remove this message using abrasive, chemical, or mechanical means, short of completely destroying the affected portion of the floor with jackhammers and re-pouring the concrete.
If you discover any other such messages in the course of your work, report them immediately to the head of Maintenance.
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