WARNING: ATTEMPTED ACCESS DETECTED. THIS DOCUMENT IS UNDER LEVEL 5 CLASSIFICATION.

USER CODE: HILDALAND

PASSWORD: THE13O5SRIDETHERISINGTIDE

IDENTIFIER ACCEPTED. Welcome back 05-01.

OPERATION HIGH TIDE

Designated Object: SCP-3706-380

Asset Rating: Thaumiel

Status: Active.

Recommendations: Use not advised due to destructive potential. Priority should be given to search and acquisition attempts of all similar vehicles.

Description: SCP-3706-380 is a vehicle, 200 meters in length, excluding all tentacles, 125 meters in width and 75 meters in height. The superstructure resembles the Australian giant cuttlefish, Sepia apama, with notable major modifications, including six 50 m "arms" capable of supporting the vehicle in traversing terrestrial environments, and two tentacles capable of more directed, dexterous movements. Large channels, which form a circuit of constant luminescent blue, green, and yellow light, cover the exterior hull, forming intricate patterns of symbolic and spiritual significance. Four large equidistant yellow orbs are positioned at the anterior end of the vehicle, resembling eyes.

Interior spaces are broken down into 16 individual decks, with various facilities for long-term residence. SCP-3706-380 is capable of housing a crew of 325 individuals, and can carry up to 800 personnel for short periods.

SCP-3706-380 is equipped with 14 major weapon emplacements, including a high yield thaumaturgic beam weapon in place of a vessel's mouth, and a number of smaller defensive emplacements. Major emplacements consist of rotating oblong ovals with grooves carved at equidistant intervals on the minor axis of the top face. During the firing of major emplacements, carved channels within the vicinity of the weaponry will change color to a distinct reddish tone.

History: SCP-3706-380 was discovered on June 5th, 1935, in the North Sound 3 km off the coast of Westray, Orkney. At the time, the vessel was stuck in the ocean bed, and had been inundated by the surrounding oceanic waters due to an open hatch on the dorsal face. 257 skeletal remains consistent with those found near SCP-3706-230 were recovered, and transported to a small outpost at what is now Site-A, where it was determined the remains were not of human origin. Later excavation of the surrounding ocean bed uncovered traces that SCP-3706-380 had been accompanied by additional vehicles; however, no other intact vehicles were recovered.

Initially, an attempt was made to lift SCP-3706-380 from the ocean floor under the guise of recovering a valuable shipwreck. The outbreak of Occult War VII indefinitely delayed these plans, and SCP-3706-380 remained untouched for the next 15 years. Foundation paleontologists began to uncover significant numbers of other, similar artifacts, at which time the subject was revisited and a recovery operation was planned and executed. Full recovery of the vessel occurred on June 7th, 1951, and SCP-3706-380 was temporarily stored at a set of makeshift drydocks where Site A now stands.

Full inspection of the vessel determined that it had taken significant damage from exposure to salt water for approximately 50 years. Unlike other wrecks of similar age, there was a distinct lack of significant ocean flora inhabiting the vessel. Initial assessments indicated the vessel would be impossible to restore, and SCP-3706-380 was slated for disassembly and decommissioning. This mandate was counteracted by special interests from the O5 council, after an engineer stumbled upon an active power source while cataloging the interior in preparation for demolition. A special project was approved to repair and restore functionality to the vehicle, and began in earnest on August 5th, 1956, with the construction of Site A.

As knowledge of the vehicle and its functionalities was minimal, progress was initially slow; however, with the discovery of additional SCP-3706 instances, and the slow reverse engineering of said vehicles, full repairs were completed by March 18th, 1977. Additional SCP-3706 instances were moved to the site for functional studies, and a sister site was constructed for demolition of non-functional vehicles, Site B.

Functional restoration began on the same date, and by August 23rd, 1985, a monumental breakthrough in the translation of the Proto-Nordic runes allowed Foundation personnel to translate markings on all recovered instances of SCP-3706 by that date. Proper interpretation took longer, due to the structure and grammar of the language, with linguistic mapping and a full understanding being attained on September 5th, 1990.

On December 13th, 1995, Foundation personnel restored functionality to advanced onboard life support systems, leading to the discovery that the vehicle had previously been partially inundated with salt water. This function was disabled. Navigational systems were restored 2 years later and on October 15th, 2006 full engine functions were restored.

A skeleton crew of 57 individuals was brought to Site A and underwent the necessary linguistic and functional training to operate SCP-3706-380. The maiden voyage of SCP-3706-380 was continuously delayed, due to more pressing projects in other sectors; however, following the events of Incident I-3700-032 the vessel's maiden voyage was scheduled for March 30th, 2017. During SCP-3706-380's maiden voyage Incident I-3705-01 occurred as described below.

Incident I-3706-01: On March 30th, 2017, SCP-3706-380 was launched into Pentland Firth for a shakedown run. Six additional personnel were aboard, including two O5 aides and four engineers overseeing the restoration efforts. The vessel proceeded into open waters, where it remained along the surface and accelerated to a speed of 25 knots. A predetermined course was followed, which included two passes near the village of Harrow.

Prior to the voyage, engineers were forced to reboot the engine systems due to a software glitch, unknowingly restoring functionality to the weapons due to a previously undetected blockage in the power channels around the spatial distortion being removed. As such, on the second pass by the village of Harrow, Commander Sarandine Lee, who was piloting the vehicle in conjunction with several other trained personnel, pressed her right palm on a previously unactivated imprint. At this time, a number of alarms engaged, and the uppermost arm of the vehicle was lifted out of the water.

Individuals within the vessel proper, and on accompanying security craft, described a mechanical roar emanating from within the vehicle. A "column of light" emanated from a previously unobserved opening, near the point at which the motile limbs are attached. It made impact with the village of Harrow less than a kilometer away.

Forensic recreation indicates the hamlet, and all structures within a 300 m radius, were instantly vaporized, leaving a 6 m deep crater in its place. Security protocols were immediately implemented, and all potential witnesses administered necessary amnestics. Inquiring citizens were informed that the explosion, and subsequent incineration of the village, was due to the accidental detonation of military ordinance being loaded onto a ferry for transport to a disposal facility in the Orkneys. Further voyages, and testing have been postponed in order to ascertain further offensive capabilities. The estimated death toll, at this time, is 56 adults, and 5 children. Full recompensation has been offered to any surviving family members.

Following the incident, training regimens for individuals selected to crew SCP-3706-380 have been sufficiently altered in order to avoid future incidents with the vehicle's weaponry. Large warning labels have been attached to all terminals, imprints, and mechanical devices known to activate or control emplacements, major or minor.

Recovered documents and materials: SCP-3706-380's initial recovery also salvaged a number of artifacts, including numerous thaumaturgic artifacts as well as personal belongings as indicated below below:

Combs made from sea shell fragments, and urchins.

Beds and cloths made from kelps and other seaweeds.

Nets, spears, and other equipment with traces of large numbers of varying fish species.

Decorative personal items, such as candles in containers made of varying ocean flora and fauna with notable deviations from normal species.

Moving paintings and photos depicting large-scale environments which do not match with any known geographical features.

5 humerus bones, 3 meters in length. 1 pair of hands, with elongated phalanges ending in hardened, sharp, and curved segments of thick ossification, 1.7 m in width, and digits that are each 1m in length.

Two compartments were discovered in a large set of personal quarters near the "bridge" of the vessel. Each compartment contained a bound book, believed to be, after careful examination, ship's logs, with paper composed of seaweed. Upon recovery, it was determined, due to the presence of excess water, that one of the sealed compartments had been compromised. Water damage has rendered the book kept in this compartment unreadable. The other book possesses a single entry in Proto-Nordic runes. This entry has been translated, and interpreted as given below: