Item #: SCP-2000
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: As of this writing, SCP-2000 is beyond the reach of human visitation, without the use of extraordinary means. All public knowledge of Mars comes from telescopes immune to SCP-2000 by virtue of distance from the planet, or from automated probes. Primary containment is therefore achieved by a simple extension of existing Foundation activities.
In addition to other duties, existing Foundation assets in national space agencies and private space exploration firms are to monitor all projects likely to breach containment around SCP-2000. The datastreams from probes entering SCP-2000's zone of effect are to be tapped, and data from anomalous observations redacted, before reaching the public or the broader scientific community. If the SCP-2000 containment group leader deems it unlikely that redaction can be achieved, Foundation assets are to sabotage the probe mission to maintain containment.
Should data from an anomalous observation be leaked to the public, a small detachment from Mobile Task Force Gamma-5 will be temporarily assigned for secondary containment, using standard protocols for discrediting anomalies. Group members shall cooperate with Task Force members in framing the leaked data as a conspiracy theory, hoax, or case of quack science.
Work is ongoing to modify space probes' hardware, software, and structural configuration to mitigate the effects of SCP-2000, with steadily improving success. As of this writing, the current iteration of countermeasure technology, Model 2000-Mark-6, tested on recent surface rovers, reduces the frequency of SCP-2000 anomalies by an average of 93%. All future Mars probes will have the Mark-6 modifications applied, until further notice from higher authority. This application may proceed with the cooperation of the launching agency, or by covert means. If the SCP-2000 containment group leader deems it unlikely that modification can be achieved, Foundation assets are to sabotage the probe mission to maintain containment.
Until countermeasure techniques become fully reliable, Foundation agents in national space agencies, governments, and private companies will seek to covertly prevent any manned exploration of the planet Mars, as this might lead to an irrecoverable containment breach.
Description: SCP-2000 is an anomaly observed in a region surrounding the planet Mars. SCP-2000 appears to replace normal conditions of the planet Mars, apparently at random times and for variable duration.
In the absence of SCP-2000 effects, Mars appears as a lifeless planet with negligible atmosphere. Observations of SCP-2000 appear to show Mars as a quasi-habitable planet with an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, native life-forms, "canal" megastructures, and the ruins of a technological civilization.
The anomalous conditions on Mars indicated by these observations are, by all empirical standards, "real;" there is no evidence of psychological, memetic, or telepathic effect.
Telescopic observation of Mars, including observations by automated mechanisms and telescopes in low Earth orbit or deep space, occurs normally and never detects SCP-2000. No observation of SCP-2000 has been recorded at a distance greater than 81000 kilometers since 19██. Prior to that time, numerous Earth-based observers reported observations that might have been SCP-2000-1.
Observations of SCP-2000 result in perception of three major manifestations. There are also numerous subsidiary manifestations, which might loosely be classed as 'logical corollaries' of the existence of SCP-2000-1, -2, and -3.
This document contains only executive summaries of the anomalies; for details see Document 2000-1.
SCP-2000-1 appears to be a system of large canals on the planet Mars. The canals range from roughly 20 to 500 meters in width, mostly in the northern hemisphere of the planet. Water from these canals appears to be tapped and run off to various points near the canals, creating broad, multikilometer bands of conditions comparable to dry terrestrial scrubland where plant life can exist, thanks to the influence of SCP-2000-3.
SCP-2000-2 instances are assemblies of large masonry structures, apparently cities or the ruins of cities, made up of buildings ranging in size from 2 to 150 meters. Many SCP-2000-2 instances show signs of prolonged neglect, decay, and structural collapse. Others appear to be largely intact. To date, there is no clear evidence of whether these buildings and cities are occupied by intelligent life, or whether they are entirely abandoned.
SCP-2000-3 is an anomalous observed composition and density of the Martian atmosphere. Atmospheric pressure is roughly 40% that of Earth. The atmosphere implied by SCP-2000-3 observations would be marginally breathable to humans, if not for a highly toxic concentration of carbon dioxide.
In addition to SCP-2000-1, -2, and -3, there are the minor manifestations or 'logical corollaries' referenced above. These are various landforms, structures, and organisms which might reasonably be inferred to exist if the planet Mars were affected by the major manifestations.
For example, orbiters observe that craters which are sharply defined in reality appear weathered by wind and atmospheric moisture under the influence of SCP-2000-1 and -3. Landers may detect flora and fauna consistent with the ecological conditions of SCP-2000-1 and -3, and/or small artificial structures in keeping with the architectural style of SCP-2000-2.
Anomalous Properties:
SCP-2000 is observed only intermittently, with anomalous observations beginning seemingly at random after a period of normalcy ranging from minutes to days. The perceptual anomalies appear to be 'real' in the experiential context of the probes themselves. Thus, a Mars orbiter or lander which gets too close to the atmosphere of SCP-2000-3 during an anomalous observation will experience atmospheric friction and burn up on reentry (see incident logs 2000-14 and -22). A Mars rover which encounters wildlife around SCP-2000-1 can affect or be affected by the organisms, and so on.
Conversely, at times when an SCP-2000 manifestation is not taking place, the ordinary (uninhabitable) nature of Mars asserts itself and is fully 'real.' Thus, a probe designed to function only in the atmospheric pressure of SCP-2000 would fail in the near-vacuum conditions of the ordinary Martian atmosphere, and so on.
It is as yet uncertain whether it is the inhabitable or uninhabitable version of Mars that is more "real," or indeed whether the question has any scientifically rigorous answer. Current Foundation policy, pursuant to discussions at the highest level, is based on the premise that the "real" Mars is the one which can be observed from Earth.
For further information on the history of SCP-2000 observations, see Document 2000-2.
Current Status: Ongoing difficulty with the ███████ and ███████ space agencies has posed a persistent threat of containment breach since the 1980s. Pursuant to this, the Foundation will continue to undermine ███████ and ███████ Mars probe operations for the foreseeable future (see Special Containment Protocols, paragraph 2).
Most of the Foundation's data on SCP-2000 comes from random observations made at unpredictable intervals by various national Mars probes. Since the Foundation has been taking steps to make such observations less likely, there are many unanswered questions.
Some of these questions may be answered by the proposed Foundation Mars probe series for the 201█ and 202█ launch windows. Discussion of these proposals is ongoing, at the highest levels of Foundation space science and policymaking.
**Addendum 2000-A: **
Supplemental Correspondence Archive:
██/██/1963
While the ██████ government was easily convinced to obscure the ██████ probe images for now, we have a serious problem on our hands. The upcoming Mariner-Mars series is slated to launch within the next 18 months. It is unlikely that these will be the last government or private attempts to reach and observe Mars.
In light of the rapidly increasing scope of the Foundation's commitments, and the growing number of reality-threatening anomalies, I propose that future Mars probes shall be used as testbeds for technology designed to be at least partially resistant to reality alteration. Projects ███████, ████████ and █████ ██ in particular would benefit from experience testing their methods against a known, predictable reality-shift phenomenon.
We may be too late for the first Mariner flyby missions, given the R&D delay, but I believe we can get it in place before any orbiters are launched.
-Dr. ███, Senior Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate
██/██/1963
Request approved. Modifications are to be made with all deliberate speed. However, there is no change to the existing containment protocols at this time.
-Memorandum from the O5 Council.
██/██/196█
The Space Race is getting faster every year. For now, only two countries are capable of sending probes or astronauts to the vicinity of Mars, but that is likely to change, perhaps as soon as the 1980s. Due to the long-term impracticality of keeping knowledge of the Mars anomaly from the public, I submit that we consider allowing this information to reach a selected sample of non-Foundation planetary scientists and proceed from there, concentrating on managing the reaction.
I also propose that we halt plans to modify space probes to 'resist' the anomaly; we need all the information on this phenomenon that we can get.
Dr. ███████, Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate
██/██/196█
Proposal denied. The planned modification to the Mariner probes will proceed apace.
-Memorandum, from the office of the Director of Research.
██/██/196█
It's simple, ████. What exactly would we tell the scientists, or for that matter the general public when this inevitably got out? That Mars looks like a barren ball of rock from a distance, but when you get close it's something out of the dreams of a pulp science fiction magazine? What are they going to think, when they see a planet that can switch back and forth from one reality to another in the blink of an eye? What kind of insanity could that unleash back here on Earth?
You're a good man, but try to remember what the "contain" in our mission means. Letting members of the public know that the reality of a whole world flips on and off like a light switch is not "containment." The world's getting harder to protect as it is, and when the ball comes at us, we've got to step up to the plate and hit it, not whiff.
And whatever you do, don't you ever go over ████ ███'s head again. You're lucky I sat on it before word of this got passed up the chain.
Personal letter to Dr. ███████, from the Director of Research.
██/██/197█
After what happened to the ████████ with ██████ and █, it's all the more obvious that ███ was right. We need some way to control the effects of SCP-2000 on probes. Not just as a technology testbed, but so we can get anything to the surface of Mars safely. Smacking into 400 millibars of planetary atmosphere that weren't supposed to be there- at orbital speeds no less- is no joke. Neither is having a picture-perfect soft landing with a probe that suddenly finds that it's landed on a lake instead of a crater bottom.
I've been having some trouble with my contacts in the ███████' rocket design bureau; they don't like what's happening to their probes, but they don't much like the Foundation, either. I think they've got some orders that conflict with my orders.
Dr. ████████, Field Liaison Team Leader, Space Science Subdirectorate.
██/██/198█
I propose more extended cross-testing of our Mars probe modifications on other reality-altering anomalies. Just to take one example, why haven't we used the █████ █ Mark III system we're planning to use on the next round of Mars probes to contain SCP-███?
Dr. █████, Junior Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate.
██/██/198█
What makes you think we haven't tried? Purely hypothetically, what if we had tried, and it didn't work? Would you ever know the difference? What's the record time between two SCP-2000 manifestations, even with Mark III in place? We know exactly what's going to happen when we try to block that shift, we know exactly what we're trying to avoid, and it still doesn't work. Not reliably.
If stopping the world from changing on you were that easy, everyone would be doing it.
Dr. ███, Senior Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate.
██/██/201█
I suggest that at least one or two upcoming Mars probes be designed without any of the █████ ████ modifications. We need more data on SCP-2000, and containing knowledge of the SCP-2000 anomaly Earthside has been perfectly satisfactory so far. Our existing modifications have been working too well; we are very short on current information on the anomalous version of Mars.
Dr. ████, Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate
Request noted. Discussions of the next Mars probe series are pending; please dispatch any further recommendations to the head of the Planetary Science division, to be discussed along with other proposals for the 201█-202█ budget window.
Dr. ███████████, Senior Researcher, Space Science Subdirectorate
Supplemental History File:
Addendum-1: SCP-2000-1 was frequently observed from Earth in the late 19th century. Even at the time, the canals were widely believed to be optical illusions. By 1920, numerous photographic and spectrographic observations had confirmed their nonexistence, and it was generally believed that no anomaly was involved.
The anomalous properties of SCP-2000 itself were first discovered during the █████████████ flyby of Mars by the ██████ probe. Roughly 80% of the probe's reports were consistent with the facts about Mars as we know them, but at seemingly random intervals during the flyby, the probe's photographs indicated the typical signs now associated with an SCP-2000 anomalous observation, detecting atmospheric ozone and taking a number of photographs of the SCP-2000-1 and -2 structures. Fortunately, the ██████ government decided to contain the results for the interim.
Foundation agents procured a copy of the data, and were able to settle on basic containment protocols (Containment Protocols, Paragraph 1) in time for the launch of the Mariner 3 and 4 probes. Mariner 4 experienced similar anomalies during its flyby of Mars, but Foundation agents were able to contain the breach Earthside. After vetting, the majority of the data consistent with telescopic observations of (uninhabitable) Mars were distributed to the scientific community and public at large. The remainder of the data went into Foundation vaults for further study and analysis.
Research based off Project ███████, ████████ and █████ ██ suggested countermeasures, which were tested with NASA's cooperation in subsequent US spacecraft.
A highly reliable (~87%) system was installed on the Viking landers; simultaneous with this, negotiations with the ██████ government broke down over plans to investigate SCP-2000-2.
A representative list of major containment breaches can be found in Document 2000-47, along with the incident logs.
Supplemental Science File:
At the reference datum elevation used as a "sea-level" proxy by the Mariner 9 orbiter, average atmospheric pressure of SCP-2000-3 is 38.5 kPa, breaking down into 71% nitrogen, 23% oxygen, 4% carbon dioxide, and 2% trace constituents.
This contrasts sharply to the real Martian atmosphere, which has a pressure of 0.6 kPa (near-vacuum), consisting almost entirely of carbon dioxide.
Atmospheric pressure varies with height as on Earth, with a scale height of eleven kilometers.
The high CO2 concentration of SCP-2000-3 would be fatal to human and animal life in the medium to long term (timescales of roughly one hour). Pressure and oxygen levels are high enough that over the lowlying regions of the planet that it could be breathed a suitable respirator mask, given some means of scrubbing out CO2.
With pressurization or supplementary oxygen, it would be survivable for humans in the long term, again given means of scrubbing CO2. Furthermore, Foundation biologists consider it plausible that adapted organisms could survive unprotected in this atmosphere for indefinite spans of time.
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