So what do we do now?
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}Radar image of asteroid 671294 2014 JO25, identified by SCP-9978-1 as part of SCP-9978
Item #: SCP-9978
Object Class: Keter
Special Containment Procedures: Foundation personnel stationed at space agencies are to monitor all space missions and inbound meteorites for potential contact. Astronauts returning from manned missions should be examined once per month for a period of two (2) years, and placed in confinement at the first signs of hair discoloration inconsistent with aging, or consistently below-average body temperatures.
SCP-9978-1 is kept in a humanoid containment chamber at Site-234. All interactions with SCP-9978-1 must be conducted via a two-way video or audio system. No personnel are to enter the chamber unless authorized by Clearance Level 4 personnel or above. Personnel allowed to proceed are required to use adequate level B Hazmat protection.
In the event of a containment breach, Foundation staff are to impose a regional lockdown within a 50-kilometer radius. All animal life inside the lockdown area should be eliminated. Individuals with noticeably below-average body temperatures or premature hair depigmentation should be terminated, with the remains cremated. Regional lockdowns may be gradually lifted after one month three months with no new infections, with the population remaining under long-term observation.
Isolated SCP-9978-# instances can easily be overwhelmed by force, and terminated or captured. Large formations of multiple instances can be destroyed by fire or explosives.
Description: SCP-9978 is a collection of celestial objects distributed in the solar system, with a high concentration orbiting the planet Neptune. The exact number of fragments is unknown, with estimates ranging from ≈ 15 000 objects to ≈ 40 000 objects. When observed from earth-based telescopes, SCP-9978 fragments are indistinguishable from normal asteroids.
Meteorites composed of SCP-9978 fragments constitute its primary vector of contamination, by infecting wildlife in the immediate vicinity of impact sites. Such infected local people and animals (designated SCP-9978-#) become secondary vectors that spread to other living beings through physical contact.
Groups of SCP-9978-# instances exhibit a high degree of coordination and are capable of sharing information over short ranges, effectively functioning like a single organism. Isolated instances remain limited by their physiology, both physically and cognitively.
Humanoid instances of SCP-9978-# are generally sapient. Personnel should refrain from pointing out inconsistencies between their “real” natures and assumed identities, as this causes immediate, adverse reactions ranging from confusion to outright hostility.
SCP-9978-1 refers to the instance currently contained at Site-234, occupying the body of 12 year old █████████ ██████.
Addendum 9978.1: Ares IV EVA Report
On August 20, 2016, the Ares IV lander "Condor" made its way down to the Martian surface following a 150-day voyage. On August 26, the crew attempted to reach the nearby Viking 2 lander from 40 years earlier in the hopes of recovering parts for analysis.
Date: August 26, 2016
Location: Utopia Planitia, Mars
Crew : Raven Lavoie, Gibson Oneill, ████ ██████
[BEGIN LOG]
Gibson: You are clear. My camera is picking you up, I think you're lined up pretty well.
████: I better be, mission control will kill me otherwise. Okay, going down now. Two steps. One. Okay, I'm down.
Gibson: My turn now. God this feels great. I know I said this last time, and the time before too, but it's so much better than the simulator.
Raven: Coming through now. You guys better catch me if I slip like yesterday.
Gibson: You're doing a lot better this time. Alright… everyone is on the ground. I'll check the rover.
Gibson: Okay, uh, target coords are 48.269 North, 134.01 East. I think we are good to go. Houston, be advised we are leaving the Condor now.
The crew is seen climbing into the rover before setting off towards its target coordinates. The drive is mostly uneventful, with a few stops along the way to pick up various rock samples. After 71 minutes, the crew reaches the site. The Viking 2 lander can not be seen.
Raven: I don't know, it should be here.
████: I don't see it either. Maybe from up there, I'd have a better view.
Raven: Well, I'll be bummed if we came all this way for nothing. But be careful if you do.
████ separates from the rest of the group and walks to the top of a nearby mound. A few minutes pass before the probe is spotted.
████: I see it! To the east, right behind that ridge. A bit more to the left, Gibson.
Gibson: Yeah, I see it too now. Thank God we have you here.
Raven: Let's try and reach it. There's a small drop, I don't think the rover can go through. We can go on foot.
████: I will come down on this side and join you.
Raven and Gibson walk to the probe with minimum effort and begin reporting on its condition. Due to the distance between Earth and Mars, there is a 12-minute delay before the crew can receive an answer from Mission Control, during which they sit and wait. Still, ████ does not join them.
Raven: This dust gets everywhere, I swear. And where's ████?
Gibson: Good question. Having trouble up there, man?
Raven: Hey, ████?
There is no response. The two astronauts look at each other.
Raven: I don't hear anything from him… We should go check.
Gibson: Agreed.
The pair makes its way to the base of the mound where some dust has been kicked up. Upon closer inspection, they find ████, unresponsive, inside a sinkhole-like cavity in the ground.
Gibson: ████! Shit. Houston, we have a problem. ████ has fallen into some kind of hole. I think he's unconscious. I don't know how stable this thing is.
Raven: Forget about them, we have to do something now. I'll go get the rope.
Raven sprints back towards the rover, out of frame, before returning three minutes later with a safety rope. The pair works to wrap one end around a large rock nearby, before Gibson takes position near the edge.
Raven: I'm lighter, I'll go. We did this in training, it'll be fine.
Gibson: Alright. Be careful.
Raven rappels down into the hole, whose walls appear to be made of an obsidian-like stone, and finds ████ unresponsive but alive. A quick check of his spacesuit reveals a minor leak from a crack in his helmet, likely from the fall, which she patches quickly using adhesive. The pair then work together to hoist him back up and extract Raven.
Gibson: Are you sure this will hold? Help me strap him to the rover.
Raven: I just put some tape on it, it should last us all the way to the Condor at least. I, uh, didn't see any other leaks or tears.
Gibson: Alright… Jesus, man. One hole out there and he manages to fall into it. Go figure.
Raven: Let's just get the hell out of here.
[END LOG]
Note: All three crew members made their way back to the Condor unimpeded. ████ woke up the next day, and was put off of long-range EVA duty for the rest of the mission. No early SCP-9978 symptoms were observed at the time. The crew returned and splashed down in the Pacific on April 26th, 2017.
Addendum 9978.2: Police Report
Note: On October 9, 2017, a 911 call was placed from the ██████ residence in South Patrick Shores, Florida.
[BEGIN LOG]
Automated voice: This call is being recorded.
Dispatcher: 911, where's your emergency?
Caller : I need help! I'm- I'm at ██ ██ ███████ █████ in South Patrick Shores.
Dispatcher: South Patrick Shores? And what's your name ma'am?
Caller : Yes! I'm Helena ██████.
Dispatcher : Okay, what's your emergency?
Caller: I need- I need an ambulance. Police too, I think.
Dispatcher : Are you hurt? Or someone else?
Caller : My husband and [unintelligible]. I don't know what's happening.
Dispatcher : Is your husband with you?
Caller : No, I locked the door. He- he has been acting weird, I kept trying to pull away but he wouldn't let go of me. It's like he's intoxicated or something.
Dispatcher : Okay. We have units on the way, just letting you know. Have you known your husband to drink or do substances?
Caller : Never, no. I thought it was just stress from his mission. But he went white overnight a few days ago, it's like he aged ten years. My son too. I'm sorry, I'm probably not making a lot of sense—
Dispatcher : No, it's okay.
Caller : —but it's really starting to freak me out, and it's why I called. We were supposed to go to the doctor today.
Dispatcher : Are you and your son safe?
Caller : I don't know where he is, I'm in the bathroom and I can't leave, my husband is outside the door. Please- tell the officers to hurry, my son is with him, I'm terrified. What if—
Dispatcher : They are on their way, they should be at your door in less than ten minutes. Take a deep breath, you are doing well.
Caller : Thank you. Sorry, I know it probably sounds ludicrous but I'm so scared.
Dispatcher : It's okay. What's his name?
Caller : █████████.
Dispatcher : That's a beautiful name. And you said your name is Helena?
Caller : Thank you. Yes.
Dispatcher : Alright. You are doing well. Stay on the line, okay? They will be here in a minute.
Caller : I will. Thank you so much.
[END LOG]
Aftermath: The male adult was fatally wounded by responding officers during what was described as a chaotic intervention. The caller suffered extensive wounds and was transported to Cape Canaveral Hospital, where she passed away the same day.
The juvenile at the scene was recovered by Foundation agents and transferred to Site-234.
Bodycam footage was later submitted to the South Patrick Shores Police Department as evidence. Foundation personnel attempting to retrieve it were attacked by [DATA EXPUNGED], resulting in the loss of the footage and deaths of two agents.
Addendum 9978.3: Preliminary Testing Results
From:
To:
CC:
Subject:
ethan.graves@scp.int
adam.frank@scp.int
none
Preliminary testing results
Adam,
Hope you are well.
I can now say we are officially done with the preliminary testing. I know the directors have been expecting your report, so I wanted to tell you ahead of time.
We followed the standard procedure for humanoids. This one is aware of its surroundings and able to communicate, which was a pleasant surprise (but I will say it was hard getting it to talk at first). I would say it's sapient, but even that is hard to determine because the scale uses adult-level intelligence as a benchmark.
No objections to holding interviews. I'd like to attend if possible, as I have a few questions.
The infection thing is like a pathogen of some sort. We tested it on a bunch of animals, and it managed to infect every last one (even the fish!). It didn't work on insects and plants. One interesting thing: it took about two days for SCP-9978-1 to contaminate a rat, but that same rat went on to infect its entire group in less than four hours. Getting a fish contaminated took nearly a week, but once we put it back inside the tank, it spread its thing to every other fish in there within the hour.
The big question mark here is that I don't know what it does except to contaminate and spread (the interviews might shed some light on that). But if hostile, this thing might be a lot more dangerous than the mutated-albinism-thing they hypothesized in the initial assessment.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ethan Graves
Senior Researcher
Site-234
Addendum 9978.4: Re: SCP-9978 Progress Report
From:
To:
CC:
Subject:
adam.frank@scp.int
sherry.andrews@scp.int
leep.andrews@scp.int, ethan.graves@scp.int
Re: SCP-9978 Progress Report
Director,
Thank you for interest in this.
On the preliminary testing, we have found a few hard limits on how SCP-9978-# instances propagate. The hypothesis, so far, is that the duration of the incubation period is mainly dictated by how similar the host and target organisms are.
I've noted your skepticism on personnel referring to it as a pathogen. I would say I agree, and after seeing footage of the infected specimen behaving in groups, I personally believe a comparison with mycelium is better (as new instances seem to act like an extension of the existing network). But to be honest, it doesn't fit in either box entirely. It's complicated, like everything we deal with here.
Either way, the LK scenario implications are not lost on the team. We have been trying to find some kind of contingency option should there be a massive outbreak. I will keep you updated on any breakthroughs on our end.
BR
P.S: I might swing by your office later today to discuss the interviews scheduled next week.
Dr. Adam Frank
Containment Specialist
Site-234
Addendum 9978.5: Interview logs
- Interview 1
- Interview 2
- Interview 3
- Interview 4
Interviewed: SCP-9978-1
Interviewer: Dr. Ethan Graves, Site-234
Date: November 8, 2017
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Graves: Let's start, then. How are you feeling?
SCP-9978-1: Well.
Dr. Graves: Excellent. I'm Dr. Ethan Graves, and I will be in charge of this-
SCP-9978-1: I know who you are.
Dr. Graves: I know you do. But I still have to state it for the record.
SCP-9978-1: Oh. Sorry.
Dr. Graves: No harm done. Now, we are here today because I have a few questions for you. You might recall everyone was very surprised last week, when we found out you could talk.
SCP-9978-1: Yes.
Dr. Graves: That was because at first, we thought you couldn't. Did you avoid talking initially because you were scared?
SCP-9978-1: (Visibly hesitates)
Dr. Graves: You can be honest. I won't judge.
SCP-9978-1: No, it's… it's not that. I couldn't remember.
Dr. Graves: You mean you couldn't remember how to speak?
SCP-9978-1: Yes. I really wanted to, but I couldn't figure out how, until you explained.
Dr. Graves: Are there other things like that?
SCP-9978-1: I don't know.
Dr. Graves: It's okay, I don't expect you to have all the answers so soon. Let's try something else. Can you tell me a bit about your current host body?
SCP-9978-1: My body..?
Dr. Graves: For instance, would you say you see yourself as distinct from the body you're occupying, or would you say you are the same person?
SCP-9978-1: What do you mean? I'm me. This is my..
Dr. Graves: Does the name █████████ ring a bell? It doesn't? Because your current body used to belong to him.
SCP-9978-1: (Freezes)
Dr. Graves: Uh. If this is a problem, I can move on to-
(SCP-9978-1 launches forward and collides with the reinforced glass partition several times while Dr. Graves recoils in shock. The subject is quickly incapacitated by gas. Interview terminated.)
[END LOG]
Note: No further information could be obtained from SCP-9978-1 for the rest of the day. Dr. Graves was unharmed but requested to be replaced by a member of personnel with psychology credentials. Approved by Director S. Andrews.
Interviewed: SCP-9978-1
Interviewer: Dr. Ilyana Forwood, Site-234
Date: November 9, 2017
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Forwood: Everything ready? Alright. Let's try this again. I'm Ilyana, and I will be the one talking with you today. Before anything, I want to apologize for what happened yesterday. If the topic becomes uncomfortable at any time, please tell me. Is that okay?
SCP-9978-1: (Pulling at its hands) This is uncomfortable.
Dr. Forwood: Sorry about these. I know the restraints don't feel great but this is for your safety. You gave us quite the scare yesterday, you know.
SCP-9978-1: Sorry.
Dr. Forwood: It's alright. Now, if it's fine with you, I would like to talk about your interests for a bit.
SCP-9978-1: My interests?
Dr. Forwood: It can be anything you like, stuff that makes you feel happy or positive. Or that you find interesting when you think about it, for example.
SCP-9978-1: I like going on walks outside.
Dr. Forwood: (Pauses) And you do that often?
SCP-9978-1: Yes, all the time. I mean, it's all there is to do here.
Dr. Forwood: That's… fair, actually. I might be able to get you some basic amenities, stuff to play with. But I would need your help, as they will probably want to do some more testing to see what is safe. Would that be okay?
SCP-9978-1: Yes.
Dr. Forwood: We have a deal, then. Well, I would shake your hand if I could, but uh..
SCP-9978-1: It's fine.
Dr. Forwood: Yeah, let's try and stay on course. Can you tell me how you do that? The going outside thing. As far as I know, you have been here the whole time.
SCP-9978-1: [Unintelligible]
Dr. Forwood: Sorry, what?
SCP-9978-1: It's… sorry, it's not easy to explain. I am… in more than one place. I just look through my other eyes. Uh… Do you know what dogs are?
Dr. Forwood: Yeah.
SCP-9978-1: Well, if I saw a dog, for example, and I touched it, then after a while, it would be a part of… me? I'm not… sure if it sounds right when I say it like this. But then, since the dog is part of me, it's like I am also becoming the dog. So I can see and hear.
Dr. Forwood: That makes sense. Can you control the dog too?
SCP-9978-1: No, that's another me.
Dr. Forwood: So you can share information, but you are still confined to your own physical body when it comes to moving, for example.
SCP-9978-1: Well, yes, kind of.
Dr. Forwood: And can you reach any of those dogs you've become earlier, anywhere? If I were to put the dog on a plane, for example, and ship it to the other side of the world..
SCP-9978-1: No, only if it's close. If it's too far, I can't reach it anymore.
Dr. Forwood: Alright. And I'm going to guess that this works with many animals, not just dogs, correct?
SCP-9978-1: (Goes quiet)
Dr. Forwood: Everything okay?
SCP-9978-1: Sorry. One of the fish ones is… nevermind. Yes, all kinds of animals, I think. Not trees, though.
Dr. Forwood: And do you know how many animals, or other things for that matter, are a part of you currently?
SCP-9978-1: Yes, it's a lot.
Dr. Forwood: Would you have a number? Even a guess is fine.
SCP-9978-1: [REDACTED]
Dr. Forwood: (Pauses) That's… more than I expected.
SCP-9978-1: That's the ones close enough that I can feel them. If you mean all of them, I don't really know. Maybe more than [REDACTED].
Dr. Forwood: Okay. Thank you for being honest, I appreciate it. Now, that's a lot of very important information you gave me, so I will go read my notes for a bit so I can prepare my report. Is there anything you want to ask before I leave?
SCP-9978-1: (Pulling at its hands again) Just… if you can remove these.
Dr. Forwood: I'll ask the security team on my way out.
[END LOG]
Note 1: It is possible that SCP-9978-# instances believe themselves to be indistinguishable from the host body they have taken over. Pointing out discrepancies or paradoxes might be a source of distress, which could explain the hostile reaction during the first interview. To be confirmed by follow-up testing.
Note 2: It seems the intelligence of any unique SCP-9978-# instance is limited by the anatomy of its host body. With this in mind, personnel interviewing SCP-9978-1 should be mindful of the information they pass on to the subject, as it could eventually reach an instance equipped with a fully-developed mind and capable of weaponizing it against the Foundation.
Interviewed: SCP-9978-1
Interviewer: Dr. Ilyana Forwood, Site-234
Date: November 13, 2017
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Forwood: Alright, the recorder is on. So how are you doing?
SCP-9978-1: I'm fine.
Dr. Forwood: That's always a good thing. Did anything come up during the weekend?
SCP-9978-1: Not really. Are we going to talk like last time?
Dr. Forwood: Actually, I would like to try something different today. See this folder? I have a few images I want to show you.
SCP-9978-1: Okay.
Dr. Forwood: I want you to tell me what each of them makes you think, if anything. Do you think you can do that?
SCP-9978-1: Yes.
Dr. Forwood pulls out the first picture, representing a forest viewed from above.
SCP-9978-1: Green.
Picture n°2 : A crowded marketplace.
SCP-9978-1: Many people. I would like being there.
Picture n°3 : A family at a dinner table. A large turkey is being cut up and served.
SCP-9978-1: That's wrong.
Dr. Forwood: How so?
SCP-9978-1: It's a waste. I mean, eating that thing instead of, you know…. Sorry. Did I say something wrong?
Dr. Forwood: No-no, you're fine. I'm sorry actually, I made a weird face. Don't mind it.
SCP-9978-1: Ah. You can show me the next one.
Picture n°4 : A dog in a park.
SCP-9978-1: Oh, I know that one! That's a dog. I have [REDACTED] of these in me right now.
Dr. Forwood: [REDACTED]? That's quite a lot, actually. Do you like dogs?
SCP-9978-1: Not really. But it's really easy to approach people when you are one.
Dr. Forwood: (Writes something down) That's… certainly interesting. Well, they call them man's best friend after all.
SCP-9978-1: Oh, really? I didn't know. I should have tried that earlier.
Dr. Forwood: Well, let's continue.
Picture n°5 : A school classroom.
SCP-9978-1: Huh. That one's weird.
Dr. Forwood: In what way?
SCP-9978-1: I feel like… I don't know. Maybe I was there before. I'm not sure.
Dr. Forwood: Like some kind of memory?
SCP-9978-1: Yeah. Sort of. I think… It feels loud. I can't really describe it, but it makes me want to cover my ears. I don't like it.
Dr. Forwood: Alright, that's fine. We can move on to the—
SCP-9978-1: What did you write earlier?
Dr. Forwood: Hmm?
SCP-9978-1: When I told you about the dog.
Dr. Forwood: Oh, just some notes. I do this all the time.
SCP-9978-1: (Pauses) Okay.
Dr. Forwood: Here's the next one.
Picture n°6 : A rocket during takeoff.
SCP-9978-1: I don't know about that one.
Dr. Forwood: Fair enough.
Picture n°7 : The Martian surface.
SCP-9978-1: I uh… I don't know. Orange?
Dr. Forwood: That's… right, technically. Does it make you think about anything else? Or feel anything?
SCP-9978-1: (Shrugs) Not really. It's just orange. Is there something I'm supposed to see?
Dr. Forwood: Oh, no, I just thought maybe, you know, there was something you'd recognize in that image. But it's really not a big deal. Anyway, only one left.
Picture n°8 is an artist's representation of the Solar System. SCP-9978-1 goes still.
Dr. Forwood: Everything okay?
SCP-9978-1: I know that place!
Dr. Forwood: Mars?
SCP-9978-1: The blue one.
Dr. Forwood: Do you mean Uranus or Neptune?
SCP-9978-1 presses against the window to get a better view.
SCP-9978-1: That last one over there.
Dr. Forwood: That's Neptune.
SCP-9978-1: (Increasingly agitated) Well, I should be there but I'm not, so it can't be the real thing!
Dr. Forwood: This is just a drawing, it's not the real thing. An artist made it.
SCP-9978-1: Then bring me the real thing! Please. I need to see it.
Dr. Forwood: I don't have any more pictures, but I could get images from the real thing if you'd like. Can you sit down?
SCP-9978-1: Yes, sorry. I'm just… I haven't seen that in a long time.
Dr. Forwood: It's okay. I'll go make some calls, but I want to thank you for being helpful today too.
[END LOG]
Note 1: Requested further probes into SCP-9978-1's comments about dogs.
Note 2: Requested that a member of personnel with advanced knowledge in astronomy be present during the next interview. Approved by Director S. Andrews.
Interviewed: SCP-9978-1
Interviewer: Dr. Ilyana Forwood, Pr. Elias Trant, Site-234
Date: November 21, 2017
[BEGIN LOG]
Dr. Forwood: We can start now. Thank you for coming, professor.
Pr. Trant: My pleasure. And nice to meet you, young man.
SCP-9978-1: Nice to meet you too.
Dr. Forwood: I got you those pictures I promised, as well as an actual expert on the topic. I'll let him introduce himself.
Pr. Trant: Thanks, you can call me Elias. I work with all things space. I understand you were interested in the Neptunian system?
SCP-9978-1: Yeah.
Dr. Forwood: The booklet on your table was prepared by the professor ahead of our session today. You can take a look inside.
SCP-9978-1 starts skimming over the pages slowing down at the Neptune section. It then pauses on page n°7.
Triton, moon of Neptune
SCP-9978-1: What is this?
Pr. Trant: That's Triton, the largest moon of Neptune. Does that image ring a bell? Maybe you have seen it before?
SCP-9978-1: No, I haven't. It wasn't there, I'm pretty sure. I would have noticed.
Pr. Trant: Do you mean you have been there before? Seen that place in real-life?
SCP-9978-1: Yes. But that thing wasn't there. Is it the only one?
Pr. Trant: No, if you look at the next page, other moons are listed too. That one in the top-right corner is Proteus, the second-largest. Then you have Larissa, Galatea, Nereid… We don't have images of every single one, unfortunately, but these are all the moons we know currently. Astronomy is always an ongoing process, so there might be very small ones that we haven't spotted yet.
SCP-9978-1: I don't understand. I don't remember being that shape, none of this… looks like me. Something must have happened.
Pr. Trant: (Pauses) How long ago was that?
SCP-9978-1: I don't know… A long time.
Pr. Trant: Millions of years ?
SCP-9978-1: Maybe, I really don't know.
The Professor gets up, and starts slowly walking around the interviewer side of the room.
Pr. Trant: Let me ask you something else. Do you know how Triton ended up orbiting Neptune?
SCP-9978-1: No.
Pr. Trant: The leading theory is that it was captured by Neptune. We believe Triton originated from the Kuiper belt, which is an asteroid belt beyond Neptune, and that millions of years ago, it crossed paths with the planet. The much larger and heavier Neptune would have kept it from escaping, and over time, Triton's orbit stabilized around it.
SCP-9978-1: But what does that have to do with me?
Pr. Trant: Well, a side effect would have been that over time, the relatively large Triton would have smashed through Neptune's other preexisting moons, including what I understand is a prior iteration of yourself.
SCP-9978-1: (Looking shocked) So I'm just… gone?
Pr. Trant: Not exactly. Most of the debris from that collision likely aggregated into rings and smaller moons. Some of it is likely on Triton itself. Some would have been ejected out of Neptune's orbit entirely. I can imagine fragments making their way to other planets, or—
Dr. Forwood: (Gestures) We should keep that topic for later.
Pr. Trant: Ah. I see. Well, I guess my point is, there's likely chunks of you all over the place. If you think you can recognize them on pictures, I could show you some images of asteroids I have on my laptop.
SCP-9978-1: I can try.
Pr. Trant: Let's see… this is a recent one, for example. 671294 2014 JO25. Quite a hard name to pronounce, I'll admit.
Pr. Trant turns his laptop around to show the image to SCP-9978-1.
Pr. Trant: It's just a radar image, so I understand if—
671294 2014 JO25
SCP-9978-1: Oh. That's one.
Pr. Trant: No way!
Dr. Forwood: How is that even possible? I mean, what are the odds.
SCP-9978-1: I don't know, it's kind of… obvious? Just look at it.
Pr. Trant: To you, maybe. Well, let's see with the next one. 4179 Toutatis.
17 minutes truncated for brevity. SCP-9978-1 continues recognizing asteroids while Pr. Trant and Dr. Forwood watch in disbelief. In total, 56 out of 72 asteroids shown during the interview are now registered as potentially related to SCP-9978.
With the interview already overrunning, SCP-9978-1 is taken back to its cell. Trant and Forwood remain in the room.
Pr. Trant: I thought I'd seen everything at this job.
Dr. Forwood: I don't know what that was either. I don't even know if I should be happy or not. I mean, it's rare for an interview to yield so many results. But this isn't going to make our lives easier.
Pr. Trant: The implications for my entire field of research are massive. We'll likely have to investigate dozens… no, hundreds of impact events. If… if it can spread through pieces of asteroids—
Dr. Forwood: Then there might already be clusters out there that we don't know of. I mean, I don't know how many meteorites reach the ground every year, but…
Pr. Trant: Something like 15 000.
Several seconds of silence follow.
Dr. Forwood: (Leans back in her chair) This thing might be genuinely uncontainable.
Pr. Trant: Not with our current technology, that's for sure. We need- I need to talk to the committee, and plan a mission or something… We might be able to send a probe over there. Even if we do, though… it'll probably take a decade to reach Neptune.
Dr. Forwood: Well, my concerns are a bit more immediate. I need to email Adam, and I know he's going to freak out. The risk factor alone… he'll probably try and compile some sort of list of every meteorite ever known to man. I mean, hell, I want to know too. There must have been prior occurrences of this thing. It's a miracle we don't all look like that kid now.
Pr. Trant: You know what, it's been a long day. I suggest we get some coffee first.
Dr. Forwood: That's a good idea, actually.
Both get up to exit the room.
Dr. Forwood: I'll turn that off now.
END LOG
Addendum 9978.6: Possible past occurences
The following is a list of possible previous instances of SCP-9978-# entities that were not identified as such at the time, but with enough compelling evidence to be notable in hindsight. Any new leads identified by personnel should be sent to Dr. Adam Frank for evaluation.
Date
Location
Description
Notes
May 1957
Podkamennaya Tunguska River, USSR
While doing research on the Tunguska event, a team visited the river basin and collected samples of soil with the goal of identifying meteor fragments. Soviet records indicate that the entire team soon began suffering from delirium and entered a trance-like state. Loss of pigmentation followed, at which point the KGB took over the investigation.
Though theories ran wild for a time, claiming the scientists had stumbled upon a classified installation, we now know no such structure existed in the region. The KGB's own records show they believed the CIA had tested some kind of mind-altering weapon on the scientists. After extensive testing, the entire group was terminated, and the records sealed.
Feb. 1987
Basra, Iraq
During the siege of Basra, multiple Iraqi eyewitnesses described being swarmed by hundreds of entities with descriptions matching SCP-9978-#. This caused mass-confusion and panic until the entities were effectively disabled by chemical weapons.
The potential for weaponizing SCP-9978-# was noted. A working committee has been established to retrieve more information from the Iranian side, but they have been reluctant to cooperate so far.
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
[REDACTED]
Feb. 2013
Chelyabinsk, Russia
On February 15, 2013, a meteor entered the Earth's atmosphere over Chelyabinsk, Russia, causing mass disruptions and casualties in the thousands (but no reported fatalities). Following this, large numbers of groups of wild albino animals were sighted, with most reports focusing on stray dogs and rats. It was presumed an unknown virus had caused the outbreak, which was quickly suppressed by local authorities.
This is likely the least ambiguous occurence preceding SCP-9978's formal discovery. The outbreak was put down with enough force that no live specimen remained for testing purposes. If not for this, it's likely we would have discovered SCP-9978 at the time.
As described above, the evidence suggests that instances of SCP-9978-# may have been encountered considerably earlier than our first formally identified case. Although our teams have done an excellent job of eliminating such entities since 2017, it is impossible to know how many might still exist out there, beyond our reach or in the hands of hostile groups.
I also want to emphasize the very real possibility that a number of these outbreaks, especially prior to 2017, were dealt with by other organizations without our knowledge.
Given the implications, I strongly urge all personnel to remain vigilant and report any suspected occurrences.
Dr A. Frank
Addendum 9978.7: SCP-9978 exploration
Centurion Mk.I
Centurion being assembled
The Centurion probe was launched in 2018 in an effort to explore SCP-9978. After a Jupiter gravity assist, the probe is expected to reach the Neptune system in mid-2027.
Centurion is in permanent contact with the Foundation's deep space relay network. The probe is equipped with a variety of sensors and cameras, and fitted with an RTG to ensure a stable power supply for the duration of the mission.