Halleck16
rating: 0+x

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Due to the item's remote location, size, and inaccessibility, no special containment procedures are currently necessary or practical. Satellite images of SCP-XXXX do not require suppression, due to it's appearance as a natural formation. All missions to Mars will be redirected away from the anomaly until containment is feasible.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a structure outwardly resembling a massive terrestrial termite mound, about 350m high and 130m wide at its base, located in the █████ █████ on Mars. Mineral samples have revealed that its main structure is comprised of Martian soil and an unidentified biological substance, giving it the appearance of a natural rock formation.

Unmanned expeditions have revealed the existence of a large network of tunnels and shafts, similar to those of a typical mound. These passages are scaled to about 1.4x the scale of a human being, varying in places. There are 12 entrances to the mound. Eleven of these lead to a plain metal wall, with a touchscreen inlaid at approximately the center. Attempts to interact with this touchscreen have been unsuccessful, and SCP-XXXX was not accessible until the discovery of the 12th entrance, where the "wall" is transparent and can be passed through. It is theorized that the walls function as doors requiring a specific input, and use a form of energy field to preserve an internal atmosphere, which is no longer present.

The tunnels of SCP-XXXX connect to many rooms of different shapes and sizes, plated in the same metal used for the "walls". These include:

  • Rooms that seem to be living quarters. They contain slabs of metal theorized to serve as beds or seats, empty containers that could have been used to store personal effects (see Addendum XXXX-1), and unusual constructions of plumbing theorized to be a form of shower or hygienic station.
  • A room that seems to be analogous to a cafeteria. All machinery that could have been used for food production had been removed prior to discovery, and the classification is made due to the presence of table-like metal structures and a metal bar or counter.
  • A room that seems to be a medical center. Multiple metal "beds" are present, in addition to a carving depicting a chemical formula for a substance similar to cellulose.
  • A room seeming to be a hangar or garage. Although no vehicles are present, the presence of empty tanks containing traces of a volatile liquid showing similarities to [REDACTED], and equipment similar to lifts used for car maintenance indicates its function. The room is the largest in the structure, and one wall is an entrance similar to the others.
  • Of most interest to the expedition, a room that is undoubtedly a laboratory. In addition to multiple empty structures seeming to be cells or observation rooms, the laboratory contains SCP-XXXX-1.

SCP-XXXX-1 is an item resembling a wheel made of stone, diameter 1.5m, visibly distinct from the metal used to construct its surroundings. One side appears to be charred or burned, and the other is smooth. It rests in a slot on a console in the laboratory, burnt-side down, surrounded by touchscreen interfaces similar to those located on the outer walls of SCP-XXXX. Similarly to those, these screens do not respond to any interaction. SCP-XXXX-1 can be removed from its slot, but cannot be removed from the room. Attempts to do this will result in the artifact being drawn to the slot by a strong attractive force.

Later manned missions have revealed SCP-XXXX-1 to be a device of some sort, capable of inducing biological mutations when used on an organism (see Addendum XXXX-12). Due to the inaccessibility and immobility of the object, extensive testing to determine it's function not been possible. All testing is subject to Level 4 approval, and tests done on organisms of family Termitoidae and Blattodea are subject to O5 approval. A proposal to establish a permanent Foundation base inside of SCP-XXXX to study its origins and the properties of SCP-XXXX-1 is under consideration.