ZBC2 - SCP Sandbox III

ZBC2

[work in progress]

Item #: SCP-TBD

Object Class: Keter

Object Containment Procedures:
Containment is not viable at this time.

Description:
SCP-TBD is a black sphere with a segmented loading bar display on one side. Four segments of the bar are consistently displayed while a fifth segment blinks at a regular interval, appearing solid for two seconds then off for two seconds. The physical composition of SCP-TBD is unknown. The sphere is located in an unknown region of deep space and has an estimated diameter of 1.3 million Kilometers, approximately the size of an average star. Despite its mass SCP-TBD has no detectable gravitational pull. Via ██████████████████ the age of SCP-TBD is an estimated ~468.5 billion years. Notably, this is many times the age of the known universe.

Discovery:
The ███████ deep space exploration satellite traveled on its intended route for approximately 18.6 billion km before being impacted by granular debris. This disabled the on board communication relay system as well as shifting the satellite off course into an unknown direction, at an unknown velocity. ██ years later communications from the satellite reestablished on their own and the satellite resumed transmitting images and data as usual. During the blackout period something caused the satellite to accelerate considerably. It is unknown how long the satellite maintained this new velocity before resuming communications so it is impossible to calculate the satellite's approximate location or distance from the prior debris impact. The satellite continued to travel at this increased velocity and transmit data for ██ more years before SCP-TBD came into view for the first time. The satellite's trajectory brought it into direct contact with SCP-TBD after travelling for ████████████. The satellite crashed directly into SCP-TBD but did not sustain any damage. Upon contact with SCP-TBD all power was drained from the satellite and communications ceased. 22 months later the satellite washed ashore on the Eastern side of ██████████ Canada. The positional tracking data was still recoverable from the satellite. With this data further research expeditions have been scheduled.

+ Expedition 1

- Expedition 1

Expedition 1 - 11/05/2008

Objective:
Confirm SCP-TBD's location, gather data.

Results:
SCP-TBD was not at the location recorded by the ███████ satellite. It took 481 days to relocate the it. It was located on 03/01/2010 at Galactic Coordinates █████████, this is precisely 1 billion km from its previously recorded location. Two FTL Shuttles (referred to as Shuttles A and B) arrived at SCP-TBD's new site. Shuttle A remained at a distance in order to monitor both the whole scope of SCP-TBD and the display screen. Shuttle B continued to the surface for direct experimentation. Shuttle B confirmed that there are no additional features on SCP-TBD's surface besides the display screen.

Test 1

Procedure:
Approach SCP-TBD and determine gravitational influence. If none, attempt to push SCP-TBD.

Results:
Upon Shuttle B's approach no gravitational influence was detectable. Direct contact with SCP-TBD was then established. All Power drained from Shuttle B. Operators attempted to prevent the power drain by retracting the shuttle arm from the surface of SCP-TBD, but the on board cells continued to drain until empty. Simultaneously, Shuttle A observed the display screen change from the segmented bar display to the following displays in the following sequence:

"~~~~~~~~~"
"~751.ENG~"
"Invalid Input"
"Cycle Failure 1276"
"751 input 2"
"CLEAR"
"Min Shift"

Each of these messages displayed for 2 seconds before changing to the next message in the sequence, with the exception of the "CLEAR" message which remained for 20 seconds before changing. After 10 seconds of reading "CLEAR" a pulse emanated in every direction from SCP-TBD. The pulse was only visible to Shuttle A by means of gravitational lensing. The pulse pushed Shuttle B away from SCP-TBD at a slowly increasing rate. Shuttle A was unaffected by the pulse as it passed. Shuttle A was instructed to prioritize its view on SCP-TBD over following Shuttle B. After 20 total seconds of reading "CLEAR", or 10 seconds after the pulse was released, the display screen read "Min Shift". Two seconds later SCP-TBD vanished.

Analysis:
It is concerning that SCP-TBD has moved since its initial discovery, there may come a point at which we lose track of it permanently. However having moved exactly 1 billion km is worth note, the significance of this is not yet known but it unlikely to be due to random chance.

Despite having no gravitational field SCP-TBD does appear to have some sort of mass. Its so far still unclear why or how SCP-TBD is stealing power from our shuttles. But it is consistent with the ███████ satellite losing power after making contact with SCP-TBD during initial discovery. The next expedition will need at least one additional shuttle carrying a large quantity of extra battery cells, and a way to safely rescue a powerless shuttle in the event of another "CLEAR" pulse.

As for the messages displayed after contact, the current hypothesis is that the wavy line indicated some sort of processing or calculating function going on within SCP-TBD. Next, the line "751.ENG", would then be the results of it's calculation. All of the displays following the initial wavy line were in letters and numbers immediately recognizable to us, the language being in English, hence the "ENG" portion of the display. "751" may therefore refer to our planet or perhaps our species. If touching SCP-TBD qualifies as an input, that would explain the "751 input 2" line. The first input from us or "751" must have been the ███████ satellite which collided with the SCP in 2006. Our latest input was "invalid" and its likely that the input by the ███████ satellite was invalid as well but there is no way to confirm this. There is not yet enough data to conclude what "Cycle failure 1276" means. "CLEAR" however was clearly an indication as to what came next, the pulse. The "CLEAR" message displaying for a full 10 seconds before releasing the pulse may be interpreted as a warning to allow us to move out of the way of any objects being "cleared", however that could have also just been the amount of time SCP-TBD requires to generate the pulse.

Its currently believed that the "Shift" in the final "Min Shift" message refers to the vanishing function, while "Min" may mean this is a "minimum" form of said function. SCP-TBD suddenly disappearing after the pulse may be a defense mechanism, but due to the lack of a gravitational field around SCP its impossible to be certain if SCP-TBD has actually become transparent or if it just teleported to another location entirely. "Shift" arguably could be be interpreted as a shift of position or a shift out of the observable light spectrum. For this reason, Shuttle A was instructed to maintain its exact position and view to monitor the area SCP-TBD vanished from in the event that it reappears.

+ Expedition 2

- Expedition 2

Expedition 2 - [add date]

Objective:
Confirm SCP-TBD's location, relieve Shuttle A, locate Shuttle B.

Results:
Three Shuttles (referred to as Shuttles C, D and E) were dispatched to Shuttle A's location. Shuttle E is loaded with an extra supply of battery cells to be distributed between shuttles as needed. Shuttle D is loaded with a supply of large steel ball bearings, and an assortment of various household Duracell batteries. Shuttle's C and D joined Shuttle A while E moved into SCP-TBD's previously visible location and confirmed that it was not there. Locating SCP-TBD has been prioritized over locating Shuttle B. All four of the available shuttles were scattered to begin searching for SCP-TBD at a perimeter with a radius of exactly 1 billion km around its previous location. Shuttle C located SCP-TBD on [add date]. SCP was again exactly one billion km from its previous location, this time located at Galactic Coordinates █████████. Shuttles A, D and E rendezvoused with Shuttle C at SCP-TBD's new site to begin experimentation.

Test 2

Procedure:
Touch SCP-TBD with an object detached from any source of stored power or fuel. Observe, record, report and stand by.

Results:
Shuttle's A, C and E kept a sufficient distance from SCP-TBD to monitor both its whole scope as well as its display screen. Shuttle D approached SCP-TBD and began test 2 procedures. A steel ball bearing was jettisoned from the Port side of of Shuttle D towards the surface of SCP-TBD from a distance of 1 km. The ball bearing was viewed with on board cameras to confirm impact. Upon impact the ball bearing bounced off of the surface of SCD-TBD with much less kinetic energy than it should have under normal circumstances. The display screen on SCP-TBD did not change from its usual bar display.

Test 3

Procedure:
Touch SCP-TBD with an object with a minimal amount of stored power. Recapture the object after contact and measure its internal power.

Results:
Shuttle C moved to a position of 10m from the surface of SCP-TBD, near the estimated test site, in order to quickly recapture the test object. Under the same conditions of Test 2, Shuttle D jettisoned a Duracell "AAAA" Alkaline battery towards the surface of SCP-TBD. Upon impact the battery bounced off the surface with abnormally reduced kinetic energy, comparable to the results of Test 2. The display screen on TBD_SCP did not change from its usual bar display. Shuttle C recaptured the battery and measured its charge. The battery had 0% charge remaining.

Test 4

Procedure:
Confirm SCP-TBD is still accepting "Inputs". Touch SCP-TBD with a shuttle battery charged to the same level that Shuttle B lost during Test 1

Results:

Test 5

Procedure:
Touch SCP-TBD with a Shuttle Battery drained to 10% max charge, if SCP-TBD does not respond then repeat with a battery of 20% charge. Continue this process until SCP-TBD responds.

Results:

Analysis:

+ Expedition 3

+ Addendum 1

- Addendum 1

Addendum:

SCP-TBD
Research Lab: #6
Submission: #4
Date: 03/12/2011
Submitter: Dr. Alexander

The Big Crunch Theory proposes that the expansion of the universe will eventually slow down and be over powered by gravity. It estimates that in ~100 billion years the universe will collapse back in on itself and become a singularity. Oscillating Universe Theory stipulates that the collapse of an entire universe into such a singularity would cause another Big Bang as the universe rebounds off the energy of its own collapse. According to Oscillating Universe Theory the universe could theoretically collapse, rebound, and expand over and over again.

The universe is currently ~13.7 billion years old. If the Big Crunch Theory is correct then the universe will collapse in 100 billion more years, giving the universe a life span of 113.7 billion years. SCP-TBD is ~468.5 billion years old. SCP-TBD has four loaded bars on its display and a fifth flashing bar.

If we multiply the proposed lifespan of the universe by the number of fully loaded bars on SCP-TBD:

113.7 x 4 = 454.8

Then add the age of our universe as it exists now:

454.8 + 13.7 = 468.5

We are left with the age, 468.5 billion years, of SCP-TBD. Therefore, I am proposing that the universe has oscillated 4 times since the creation of SCP-TBD and that each oscillation loads one bar on its display. This would only account for 454.8 billion years until we add on the age of the current universe, 13.7 billion years, resulting in the fifth incomplete bar. Furthermore this may provide an explanation for the previously unknown meaning of the "Cycle failure" message SCP-TBD displayed during the post-input phase. For example if we take the first instance of this message "Cycle failure 1276" and assume that "Cycle" refers to an oscillation of the universe it would imply that there were 1,276 invalid inputs entered into SCP-TBD during this oscillation of the universe. 1,274 of them occurring before our discovery of SCP-TBD.

+ Addendum 2

SCP Sandbox III

Sandbox III: Revenge of the Sandbox