HerrPfanstiel

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures:

One colony of SCP-XXXX (designated SCP-XXXX-A) is held in Bio-Research Area-12. It is to be kept in a room at least 2x2 meters large and 3 m high with an air-tight door and an observation window made of lead glass at least 5 cm wide. All walls and the floor must be lined with at least 20 cm of concrete. Fresh air is to be provided with ventilation ducts on the ceiling of the room protected with a fine iron mesh. The room should contain various hiding possibilities such as empty toilet paper rolls. SCP-XXXX-A is to be fed 1 kg of kitchen waste every day. Once every three months, SCP-XXXX-A is to be provided with 0.5 grams of reactor-grade uranium enriched to 3% 235U. Dead SCP-XXXX and droppings are to be disposed of as intermediate-level radioactive waste, if not consumed by the colony. The thickness of the walls and floor are to be checked once a month. If corrosive damages exceed 2 cm, the colony is to be temporarily relocated to a room with equivalently lined walls. The containment room is to be washed down using alcaline cleaning agents and the walls are restored to their original size. This is to be expected not more than once a year, faster wearing of the walls is to be reported to level 2 personnel on duty.

Any facility handling radioactive material must implement protective measures to prevent SCP-XXXX from reaching the radioactive material depositories. The security plans for such facilities must contain the following directions. Any mention of SCP-XXXX is to be omitted or, if applicable, replaced by giving cockroaches or other insects as the reason.

  • To make sure that SCP-XXXX is not lured to the facilities, the radiation level in the open must not exceed 0.5 µSv/h compared to the natural radiation levels in the area.
  • Facilities are to deploy commercially available roach bait at all times, even if no infestation is known.
  • Sensitive areas must be checked for signs of an SCP-XXXX infestation at least once every sixty days. Signs of an infestation are comparable with the signs of a usual cockroach infestation. If eggs or live individuals of SCP-XXXX are found in a sensitive location, it is considered contaminated and must immediately be cleaned by a pest control service. The Foundation front company Schloss Controlling Pests specializes in industrial decontamination and is to be advertised as the first company to call. Further checks for infestations are to take place every seven days for ninety days to ensure that no surviving SCP-XXXX remain.
  • Destroyed SCP-XXXX are to be classified intermediate-level radioactive waste and treated as such.

Still to write:

  • What to do with SCP-XXXX in the wild. You can't really contain a whole species of cockroaches.

Description: SCP-XXXX is a species of cockroach, resembling the oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis) with the most obvious visual difference being the feathery antennae of female individuals (labeled SCP-XXXX-1) which seem to be able to detect alpha and beta radiation. SCP-XXXX-1 also develop glands that produce a strong acid capable of dissolving most natural ores. (<- sounds stupid) SCP-XXXX males (SCP-XXXX-2) have larger wings than Blatta orientalis and are able to fly short distances. Adults will grow up to 30 mm and have a lifespan of ten months to one year. SCP-XXXX has an extraordinary resistance to radiation. During testing, individuals survived radiation doses of more than ████ mSv/h without apparent damages. Natural occurences of SCP-XXXX are found at locations where high concentrations of radioactive ores such as uranium or thorium occur. SCP-XXXX is also found at locations with large amounts of human-induced radioactivity such as Chernobyl, Fukushima or ██████████, uranium mines and in smaller quantities around nuclear power plants and radioactive waste disposals.

Still to write:

  • More on the acid that the females produce, its effect on various materials
  • Under most circumstances, SCP-XXXX's behavior resembles a common cockroach. When a SCP-XXXX-1 is near a strong source of radiation, it will apply acid on the perceived emitter to dissolve it. The liquified material is then ingested and the radioactive elements will be stored in an organ in SCP-XXXX-1's rear body while the rest will be excreted via the digestive tract.
  • They tend to attack the shieldings of highly radioactive materials created by humans to reach the inside. That's dangerous to nuclear waste repositories and nuclear power plants.
  • Some anatomical details on where SCP-XXXX-1 store their nuclear fuel
  • Description of the reproductive cycle. When are they mature, how do they find each other, mating, eggs?
  • Their oothecae (egg cases, SCP-XXXX-3) contain a small amount of radioactive material equivalent to 10% 235U. The roaches add something to make this small amount critical, the resulting warmth keeps the eggs warm.
  • How dangerous are those amounts of radiation for other creatures? What happens when other animals eat them or the eggs?
  • Why don't they constantly eat each other?

Addendum: These cockroaches are responsible for some accidents with radioactivity. Three Mile Island is a candidate as the primary cause was mechanical failure, Chernobyl not so much.