ProperCthulhu

Gray Meadow

Item #: SCP-XXXX

Object Class: Safe

Manifestations of SCP-XXXX-1 seen during the day.

Special Containment Procedures: A 7500V electric fence is to be set up around the affected area. The single gate leading through the fence is to have 24/7 surveillance cameras operating. Bi-monthly mechanical inspections of cameras and fence are also required.

Once a month, a pair of Level 2 Researchers are to measure the boundaries of SCP-XXXX for any changes using Electromagnetic Spectrum Analyzers. Results are stored and analyzed in Site-15, with any significant changes being relayed to Research Team 15-82.

Description: SCP-XXXX is an approximately 2 acre section of a meadow, located 70 kilometers SE of ███ ██████, Iowa. From outside the affected area, there are no abnormalities visible. However, upon entering SCP-XXXX, all visible surroundings instantly shift from the full visible color spectrum to gray-scale. This change is seen for both humans and any video recording technology.

Within 30 seconds of entering, a light mist forms at ground level, and far thicker mist forms in the low atmosphere (<200 meters from ground level). The mist is composed of water and carries no abnormal properties apart from its rapid formation. On average, complete aerial obfuscation takes less than 1 minute.

Within 10 minutes of entering, humanoid figures, referred to as SCP-XXXX-1, emerge from the mist into visibility. These apparitions average 5 meters in height, are composed of a copper-based alloy, and average 300 kilograms. They have vague facial features, elongated necks, fused fingers/toes, and a hollow body cavity with many openings. They use bipedal movement, walking at a pace of 0.5 m/s.

Upon appearing, they advance towards the nearest human. Each figure emanates a tone that fluctuates between 50 and 70 hertz, and ranges from 30 to 40 decibels. Approximately one meter from a human, they completely cease motion, but continue their audio emanation. Any movement away from SCP-XXXX-1 causes it to move once more until within a 1 meter range, an exception being that SCP-XXXX-1 ceases all motion when within 30 meters of SCP-XXXX's edge. Upon leaving SCP-XXXX, the mist completely hides any appearances of SCP-XXXX-1, and within 1 minute, the localized mist dissipates and full color spectrum returns.

Addendum XXXX-01: The following are experiments conducted following discovery and isolation of SCP-XXXX, run by Dr. Mortimer Andrews of Researcher Team 15-82.

Date	Experiment	Results
30-6-20██	Attempt manual toppling of SCP-XXXX-1.	Fell without reaction, no longer moved or pursued humans.
31-6-20██	Attempt removal of SCP-XXXX-1 "arm" with diamond-tipped rotary saw.	Saw easily cut through, no reaction from SCP-XXXX-1 whatsoever. It continued its previous pursuit in same fashion. Removed metal successfully taken offsite, tested, shown to be a standard copper alloy.
3-7-20██	Attempt removal of SCP-XXXX-1 "leg" with diamond-tipped rotary saw.	Cut through with similar ease, SCP-XXXX-1 immediately collapsed. No longer moved or pursued.
5-7-20██	Attempt forced removal of SCP-XXXX-1 from SCP-XXXX using bulldozer.	Initially, SCP-XXXX-1 is moved easily. However, at the 30 meter border, the bulldozer slammed to a halt. SCP-XXXX has some sort of barrier for these manifestations that we cannot measure. We'll bring additional measuring gear tomorrow and report what we find.

Addendum XXXX-02: Report on additional findings regarding SCP-XXXX from Dr. Mortimer Andrews.

Yesterday, dated 6-7-20██, we brought additional equipment for measuring light, sound, thermal differences, radiation, everything, to see if we could resolve the nature of the barrier that prevents manifestations of SCP-XXXX from approaching its border. To my great discontentment, we discovered nothing. The border contains no differences that we can observe from the rest of the surrounding area. Extremely perplexing and frustrating.
However, we did make an unexpected discovery. One of the technicians recording audio output from SCP-XXXX-1 ran some tests and found a repeating pattern. We returned to the labs with the data and eventually decoded it into a number scheme, which we were able to translate into English. The message is… strange, to say the least.
"Why must we live while this land lacks our souls?"
We looked into any unusual activity in the area for the past century, came up with nothing. However, we can safely say these entities possess no danger, just an enigma of an origin. Will continue researching.

Untitled Tale

Dr. Erin Richards sprung awake to a powerful ache in his shoulder. A shard of metal jutted out, fresh blood still oozing. More lucid by the second, he examined his surroundings: a large, strange cave of sorts, with pulsing, luminescent walls that lightly hummed, a heavy mist in the air. Its scent wasn't the most pleasant of smells, reminding him of freshly laid tarmac. A reddish light could be seen wrapping around a cave wall, brighter than the amorphous green surface that surrounded him, so he struggled to his feet and cautiously walked toward it.

He knew nothing of this place, and his head pounded. Okay, think, where am I? How did I get here? Why the fuck is there metal in my shoulder? Fragments of memory came to him: the lab with Dr. Alice Reeds and that younger technician fellow, they were working on… a machine. Its function was to generate a multiversal dimensional field that could be probed to find alternate planes within humanity's grasp; perhaps for exploration, perhaps for prevention. What they'd be working to prevent, well, that was something he didn't know of and didn't mind remaining ignorant to; it was for the O5's to worry about.

He followed the red light as it bounced through the pulsing, cavernous walls, growing brighter as he continued. Turning a corner, he came to the cave's exit, momentarily blinded by the fierce gaze of a foreign star. Pupils adjusted, Erin stood before a massive, flat plane of red sand and floating scenery. Charred metal was visibly scattered for many kilometers, a bright white against windblown dust. The machine… it was white as well… He looked to the shard lodged in his shoulder, and carefully wiped the blood from it. It was the same color as the scrap scattered before him, and this prompted yet more memories to flood in.

The field was generated, a stable, glowing sphere of energy. We went to power it down, and as the switch was flipped, it erratically began changing in shape and size. I remember the glass of the laboratory walls shattering, a great howling, Alice screaming, and then… darkness.

He fell to the ground, overcome with a rush of emotion. He wept with head in hands as the maroon sand danced around him. Dear god, we've delved too deep. We may have destroyed Earth, fucking hell maybe even our universe. How could our primitive minds hope to safely explore such an infinitely complex system? His cries were cut short by a screaming in the distance. His head shot up, frantically searching for its source. He squinted and stared across the sand, and could vaguely make out a figure running across it. "Alice!"

He ran towards her, now facing the full power of the swirling dust and powerful winds. Holding a hand up to shield his eyes, he yelled to her, "Alice, is that you?!" She stopped and turned towards him. "Erin? Erin!" A minute of struggling as best they could against the whipping sand, they took cover behind a large, black stone jutting out from the ground.

"Alice, thank god you're alive! Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine, but how are- shit, your shoulder! Oh god, are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, it's not bleeding anymore and I haven't anything to patch it up with, so it's best I leave it in for now."

"You're right, you're… you're right… Erin, where in the hell are we?"

He sighed and slumped against the stone, looking around at the blazing red sun, the whirling dust, and the strange, floating, amorphous blobs that dotted the landscape.

"I wish I had an answer. That was a test to see if we could maintain a multiversal connection… it wasn't supposed to send us anywhere."

She laughed, startling him.

"I don't think tests like this ever do what they're supposed to do."

He halfheartedly smiled, shifting his gaze to his feet.

"Yeah… but my god, Alice, we have no idea what chaos we may have wrought upon the Earth."

Her smile faded, and she turned her eyes to the wasteland stretching before them.

"I know, Erin, but that can't be our priority, to lament the possible fallout of our experiment. We need to concentrate on the now: where we are and what the hell to do about it."

He looked at her, his defeated expression fading.

"You're right. I'd rather not die in a place like this… let's try to find some higher ground, get our bearings."

She nodded and stood, grasping his hand and pulling him up. Spotting a large, rocky hill, they set off towards it, hands raised to block the sharp wind and swirling sand, as the glare of a red star mercilessly stood watch above them.