SCP-6174

rating: +123+x
Item #: SCP-6174 Level 3
Object Class: Safe (Pending Ticonderoga) Secret

SCP-6174-Breakroom-On.jpg

[Pixel Reconstruction] SCP-6174 (lights OFF), viewed through the wall of the Bunker 2 break room (lights ON).


Special Containment Procedures:

Containment Site Research Site Observation Site 6174 has been established around SCP-6174’s resting place, as the nature of the object renders retrieval impossible. Foundation agents stationed nearby at the Arecibo Observatory are to maintain the appearance that Containment Site Research Site Observation Site 6174 is a series of utility bunkers containing sensitive seismographic equipment for the calibration and protection of the Arecibo Radio Telescope.

Site 6174’s perimeter consists of two 5-meter-tall industrial chain link fences topped with barbed wire, spaced twenty meters apart, surrounding a circular area of Puerto Rican rainforest measuring approximately 1000 meters in diameter. A large gatehouse on the northern end of the ring-fences, containing personnel living and sleeping quarters, offers the only entrance to and from the enclosure. Due to Site 6174’s remote location, clear display of warning signage, and documents circulated within the Arecibo Observatory that the “sensitive seismographic equipment” at the site must not be disturbed, so far there have been no significant attempts by non-Foundation entities to gain entry to Site 6174 nor its central bunkers.

At the center of Site 6174’s enclosure lies a module of seven interconnected bunkers, with six bunkers surrounding the seventh in a hexagonal formation. Each bunker consists of a 10-meter-diameter concrete dome, accessible via a door to the outside and connected to the others via concrete tunnels. No one is to enter any of the seven bunkers without the express direction of the Site Director.

These bunkers contain, in clockwise order from the northwest-most bunker:

Bunker 1
(Command)
The retired command center for the containment research observation module. Live footage from Bunkers 1-6 has been rerouted from the display panels in Bunker 1 to video monitors in the gatehouse.
Bunker 2
(Break Room)
Contains restrooms, a seating area, a coffee maker, and simple amenities for food preparation. All meals are to be taken in the gatehouse when possible.
Bunker 3
(Research)
Contains various retired equipment for conducting research into the nature of SCP-6174. One corner of the bunker holds a small, standard interview cell furnished with additional artistic supplies. The rest of the bunker is devoted to a medical suite with brain-imaging equipment for monitoring the brain activity of test subjects.
Bunker 4
(Cells)
Contains one guard post and two standard humanoid containment cells built up against the SCP-6174-facing wall. Each cell is to be kept furnished with simple living amenities adequate for one human subject.
Bunker 5
(Security)
Guard station. Contains a minimum of two armed guards at all times that any Bunkers contain D-Class personnel, and can sustain up to nine guards at any given time.
Bunker 6
(Sensors)
Contains autonomous monitoring devices for various environmental conditions, including atmospheric and seismographic sensors. All necessary data feeds have been rerouted to video monitors in the gatehouse.
Bunker 7
(Containment)
The central chamber, Bunker 7, houses SCP-6174. This chamber is accessible only from the tunnels which connect it to Bunkers 1 (Command), 5 (Security), and 3 (Research), and is to remain sealed at all times when not in use.

Bunker 7’s interior chamber is lit by an array of wall-mounted LEDs to a soft white glow during daylight hours and a low-level diffuse red glow at night (not to exceed 0.001 lumens). Calibration for Bunker 7’s nocturnal lighting should be made so that the average color value of the surface of SCP-6174 matches the approximate color value of the inside of the human eyelid when closed in a dark room. No personnel are to enter the central facility without express direction from the Site Director.

Security staff All personnel located at Site 6174 are to remain within the ring of ground between the two fences at all times. The perimeter of the ring-fences is to be patrolled by site security on an hourly rotation.

All personnel are to be subjected to psychiatric evaluation on a monthly weekly annual basis. Personnel who fail to maintain high scores across their metrics for mental fortitude and compartmentalization, or who score above their baselines for obsessive or compulsive metrics, are to undergo Deep-Permanence evaluation. Individuals who have not developed Deep-Permanence are to be administered Class-A amnestics and relocated for placement at Foundation facilities no less than 1,000 kilometers from Site 6174. Personnel who fall within the parameters for relocation but who display Deep-Permanence are to be brought to the Site Director for further briefing.


Description:

SCP-6174 is an immovable, stationary object located at 18°19'0█.██"N by 66°45'2█.██"W, in ██████ province, Puerto Rico. Its appearance is that of an off-white sphere, 16.22 centimeters in diameter, floating one meter above the forest floor via unknown means. A small, pre-Columbian pedestal/altar of non-native granite, which has been deemed to be non-anomalous, sits below SCP-6174. The surface of the sphere appears to be perfectly round, though not perfectly smooth. SCP-6174’s off-white exterior has been likened to bone, eggshell, pumice, and many other materials by observers, though all attempts to gather a sample of its surface or to otherwise analyze its chemical composition have been met with failure.

SCP-6174’s primary anomalous feature is that, upon being seen, it cannot be unseen. Obstacles that would normally obstruct a subject’s line of sight toward SCP-6174 fail to do so, resulting in the sensation that SCP-6174 is instead “in front” of any such obstructing materials. So far, no natural or artificial substance has been found that can block a subject’s view of SCP-6174. This includes, but is not limited to: concrete, lead, silver, wood, beryllium bronze, holy water, [DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS], and eyelids. For a full list of tested materials, researchers may submit a request to the Site Director.

Most subjects are not aware of SCP-6174 until they approach within 250 meters of the object or have their attention directed toward its location. This distance varies greatly based on the perceptive qualities of the subject and the degree of difference between the average color value of their observable environment and that of SCP-6174’s exterior surface.

Beyond the superimposition of SCP-6174’s image at the forefront of the subject’s line of sight, SCP-6174 also remains “visible” even when it passes beyond the normal human field of vision. If a subject stands facing SCP-6174 and rotates their eyes or head until the object would pass out of view, instead the subject will continue to “see” SCP-6174 in the void of sight beyond their peripherals. This sensation has a remarkably deleterious effect upon the mental state of most viewers, with subjects describing its visible presence beyond their peripherals as “unbelievably disorienting,” “mentally tortuous,” and “just ██████ wrong”. Subjects who remain in close proximity to SCP-6174 often develop swift phobias of allowing SCP-6174 to exit their normal range of vision, citing their discomfort and inability to function properly when it does so. Most subjects become functionally blind for any extended periods wherein SCP-6174 sits beyond their normal range of vision, as their devotion of focus to the image of SCP-6174 prevents them from properly observing the rest of their surroundings.

Upon withdrawing to a significant distance from SCP-6174, most subjects report that the miniscule image of the object, though still fully visible, is nevertheless much less mentally taxing. Site 6174 has been constructed to reflect this finding, as site staff have reported significantly higher levels of comfort in the gatehouse than in the bunkers.

SCP-6174’s image always appears clear in the mind of the viewer. Though the sphere’s diameter may seem to grow larger or smaller as a subject approaches or retreats from SCP-6174, such is the extent to which a subject can manipulate the image of the object. Attempting to blur one’s vision via focusing or unfocusing the eyes through any means, natural or artificial, results in a field of view that is blurry except for the clear image of SCP-6174. This extends to the subject’s peripheral vision, which under normal circumstances is not particularly receptive to finer visual details. In the case of SCP-6174, the subject can clearly “see” the details of SCP-6174’s exterior when it sits at the edge of their vision and when it passes beyond their normal range of vision.

So far, the lighting conditions within SCP-6174’s enclosure have proven to be the only reliable way to cause any changes to the viewer’s perceived image of SCP-6174 beyond movement toward and away from the object. Subjects describe SCP-6174’s brightness and color to be directly related to the lighting conditions within its enclosure. Research has shown that lighting the surface of SCP-6174 to the approximate color value of the Bunkers’ exterior surface during daylight hours and to the approximate color value of the inside of the human eyelid during nighttime hours is the most effective means of reducing mental strain on its viewers. Current containment procedures have been revised to reflect this finding.

Though all efforts to contain the visual presence of SCP-6174 have failed, containment of the object itself has been continually successful since 1951. Any effects that SCP-6174 may have on the greater public have been deemed to be largely nonexistent well worth their potential risks completely unknown and potentially a vector for an AK-Class "madness" end of the world scenario non-threatening in nature and fitting of the requirements for an Object Class of Safe.


SCP-6174-Gatehouse-Office.jpg

[Pixel Reconstruction] SCP-6174 (lights ON), viewed through the bookcase of the Gatehouse Office (██/██/1995, lights ON).

Discovery:

SCP-6174 came to the Foundation’s attention in 1951, when Steve Balmer, a well-respected reporter for National Geographic, began work on a cultural piece concerning a small cell of religious fanatics living on the forested slopes of northern Puerto Rico. Notably, his research concerned a local folk legend of “El Ombligo del Mundo” (“The World Navel/The Umbilical of the World”), thought by believers to be some sort of deity or primeval nucleus that could inhabit the human mind. Foundation agents seized all materials related to the National Graphic piece in a raid on ██/██/19██ and administered amnestics to Balmer and all connected staff. MTF Iota-III (“Papal Bull”) was dispatched to Puerto Rico to investigate the authenticity of the religious cell, retrieve any anomalous items, and perform cleanup operations.

Upon arrival, MTF Iota-III quickly located SCP-6174 with the assistance of local rumors, immediately notifying command of the object’s “non-unseeable” nature and establishing a secure perimeter along lines similar to those of the modern-day ring-fence. MTF Iota-III further discovered a diverse community of native Puerto Ricans and other Caribbean islanders living in a diffuse cave system below SCP-6174, who called themselves “Los Hijos del Ombligo” (“Children of the Navel”). Contact with these “Children” was initially peaceful, though tensions rose when members of the task force began interviewing members of the group. When Iota-III’s Materials Coordinator attempted to take samples from SCP-6174 for testing, altercations ensued. Over the course of the following three days, [DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS] resulting in the deaths of all thirty-two Children reported by MTF Iota-III, along with two members of Iota-III, as well as the total collapse of the cave system in which the Children had been dwelling [See Exploration Log [DOCUMENT EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS]]. Foundation scientists were flown in, the seven-bunker system and ring-fences constructed, and containment established. After one year of cross-island amnestic regimens and the alteration of relevant historical archives by Foundation agents, no further incidence of civilian discourse concerning SCP-6174 has been uncovered.

Analysis of the granite pedestal below SCP-6174 brought the surprising conclusion that it had been carved in ~2500 BCE, or five hundred years prior to the earliest human remains so far discovered in Puerto Rico, which dated to 2000 BCE. No similar granite structures have since been found in the vicinity of SCP-6174, though prior to the collapse of the Children’s tunnel system, MTF Iota-III had reported [DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS]. Initial excavations by Foundation scientists in the 1950s could not validate these claims, and in 1954, Site Director Merriweather suspended all excavations indefinitely.

Research into the history of the Children during initial containment revealed a long history of secretive interest in SCP-6174 on the island. Following Columbus’ brief stop in Puerto Rico in 1499, and again following the founding of Caparra in 1508, the [DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS]. By the time of America’s invasion of Puerto Rico at the tail end of the Spanish-American war, rumors of “Los Hijos del Ombligo” had once again begun to spread through the surrounding countryside. This group appears to have been the same community that maintained residence around SCP-6174 until their demise following the events of 1951.

In 1952, Foundation plants within the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) maneuvered policy decisions toward the construction of the Arecibo Telescope near SCP-6174 under the guise of defense applications for the detection of missile activity at extremely high altitudes. Foundation scientists had been pushing for such an array for decades, as many research proposals called for the far-range radio telescope capabilities of such a structure. At the time of its discovery, SCP-6174 was assumed to perhaps serve as a transmitter or beacon for some unknown entity(s), and as such, the construction of the Arecibo Observatory nearby would allow for simultaneous surveillance and research of the object. The geography of the area, prone to sinkholes and other underground systems, was further expedient to selection for the site of the telescope. Construction of the Arecibo Observatory was completed in 1963, and has maintained a strong Foundation presence ever since. So far, no signs have been found that SCP-6174 serves any transmissive function, beyond its temporary application in Project YANH.

On December 1, 2020, [DATA EXPUNGED: HARM TO ONGOING OPERATIONS].


Research Logs:

FINDINGS
Live video and recorded video bears SCP-6174’s effect SCP-6174 appears in videos, both live and prerecorded, as it would appear if the observer were viewing the object from the vantage point of the photoreceptors of the filming camera. If SCP-6174 is obstructed from view in the video, it will still appear at the “front” of the viewer’s field of vision in the video. However, SCP-6174 cannot pass “beyond” the edge of the screen on which it is shown. The lighting conditions of the object in videos are those from the time of original filming. SCP-6174 will appear in perfect clarity regardless of the definition of the video capture device or playback screen.
Photographs bear SCP-6174’s effect SCP-6174 appears in photographs as it would appear if the observer were viewing the object from the vantage point of the photoreceptors of the camera. This gives the photograph an oddly “3D” effect, as tilting an image that contains a materially obstructed SCP-6174 will cause the image of SCP-6174 to move across the photograph’s surface in front of any intervening materials. The lighting conditions of the object are those from the time of the image’s original capture. SCP-6174 will appear in perfect clarity regardless of the definition of the image capture device or the material onto which the image is transferred.
Artistic depictions do not bear SCP-6174’s effect Artistic depictions of SCP-6174, be they hand-drawn, digitally modeled, sculpted, poetic, or otherwise, bear none of SCP-6174’s visual effects, regardless of how accurate or inaccurate they may be to the image of SCP-6174. Even a pixel-by-pixel reconstruction of a digital file for a photograph of SCP-6174 that itself displays SCP-6174’s visual effects will fail to display SCP-6174’s visual effects.
Non-humans are unaffected by SCP-6174’s visual effect Testing with a wide array of non-human animals has universally shown that said animals are unaffected by SCP-6174’s properties. The object seems to appear as an ordinary, if floating, orb to these creatures. Interestingly, this testing has revealed that the object is in fact off-white in color, as animals trained in color recognition and pattern matching were able to correctly match SCP-6174 to color swatches of its presumed color. This was not an assumed fact at the time of containment, as by nature of SCP-6174’s visual superimposition researchers could not write off the possibility that its surface was, to the non-human eye, some other color.
Subjects with impaired vision see SCP-6174 clearly Subjects with poor vision are still capable of visualizing SCP-6174 clearly. These individuals often demonstrate more severe disorientation than other subjects in the face of SCP-6174’s effects, as it is harder for their mind to avoid latching onto its image against an unfocused background.
Subjects who suffer complete or partial blindness see SCP-6174 clearly Subjects who are congenitally blind or who have otherwise lost their sense of sight are still capable of visualizing SCP-6174 clearly. These individuals often demonstrate extreme disorientation in the face of SCP-6174’s visual effects, often to the point of loss of consciousness and/or complete loss of any sense of direction. A small percent of blind subjects displayed a deep sense of rapture when brought near to SCP-6174, though loss of directional sense was still present.
Blood on the surface of SCP-6174 On ██/██/20██, Researcher Erikson noted that there were two miniscule dark spots near the bottom of SCP-6174’s sphere that could not be explained by lighting conditions within Bunker 7. Under the assumption that this must be a foreign material, Erikson gained permission to attempt a sample extraction. Scrapings revealed both spots to be trace amounts of dried human blood, one of which was a direct match to the eldest of the religious group known as the Children at the time of the object’s initial containment. The other sample was much older, and thus difficult to match, though there is a high likelihood that [DATA EXPUNGED: HARM TO ONGOING OPERATIONS]. A spot of matching blood was discovered on the surface of the granite pedestal below SCP-6174, though there is no prevailing theory as to how these two spots could have survived the environmental effects of Puerto Rico’s weather for so many millennia. Further research into the subject has been temporarily suspended, pending advancements in the Foundation’s available techniques for organic sample study.

Documents:



Document 3: Request for Funding for Project YANH
[DATA EXPUNGED FOLLOWING RAISA FINANCIAL DOCUMENTATION PROTOCOL]



Document 5: Request for the Reclassification of SCP-6174 to Thaumiel (Approved)
[DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS]










Document 14: Emergency classification of SCP-6174 as Apollyon (Approved)
[DATA EXPUNGED: INVALID CREDENTIALS]




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