Map of Northern Africa showing above-ground segments of SCP-001 (Operation Flashbulb)

Item #: SCP-001

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures (Previous): All visible segments of SCP-0██ are surrounded by 3m high chain-link fences at a minimum distance of 500m, or whatever distance is necessary to fully obscure the anomaly from view through local foliage. Security personnel must patrol the area to capture, amnestize, and release any civilians attempting to trespass on SCP-0██’s containment. A no-fly zone has been established surrounding especially prominent segments of SCP-0██ under the guise of a military facility.

Special Containment Procedures (Current): The artificially advanced desertification of the Sahara region is to continue until such a time that doing so will no longer further minimize the risk of a SCP-001 security breach. Historical records, archaeological artifacts, and scientific data have been forged by Foundation agents to imply that the entire Sahara region has been a desert since roughly 1600 BCE and that the name “Sahara” derives from the Arabic word “صحارى”, meaning “deserts” (Note: all agents involved in initial forgery have been treated with Class-D amnestics and implanted with false memories). All future archaeological expeditions in the Sahara region must contain at least one (1) Foundation plant, responsible for destroying any newly-discovered evidence suggesting that the Sahara region was significantly forested more recently than 1600 BCE. Agents assigned as plants in Saharan expeditions are given the cover story that forested Sahara artifacts originate from an alternate timeline. In the event that an artifact is discovered that depicts or mentions SCP-001, all members of the expedition including the Foundation agent are to be treated with Class-D amnestics.

All visible segments of SCP-001 are camouflaged using Angelakos-Hajjar Saccadic Inducement Field (AHSIF) units powered by self-repairing solar arrays. In the event of technical failure an AHSIF-certified technician will be dispatched to repair the offending unit under remote supervision by no fewer than two (2) members of O5 Command. The technician must be treated with Class-eP anterograde amnestics prior to being given the assignment as well as Class-A amnestics following its completion, and implanted with false memories consistent with emergency repair of AHSIF systems aboard the F.N.S. Nozick or other active-duty Foundation battleship or aircraft carrier. Autonomous anti-personnel turrets have been stationed in a perimeter around visible segments of SCP-001 and instructed to eliminate any humanoid within 100m of the anomaly not given prior clearance by O5 Command. Turrets are repaired, replaced, and provided ammunition as needed by unmanned aerial drones.

All information regarding SCP-001, its containment procedures, and Experiment 0██-K are to remain accessible solely to current members of O5 Command with sufficient need-to-know. It is suspected that leaked knowledge of SCP-001, and specifically of the results of Experiment 0██-K, would result in a Class NK “Fall of Ilias” Scenario if not properly contained. Possessing or seeking knowledge regarding SCP-001 is considered grounds for amnestization or termination, as determined by majority vote of the O5 Council on a case-by-case basis. Intentionally distributing knowledge regarding SCP-001 is punishable by immediate termination.

Description of Primary Object: SCP-001 is the skeletal remains of an enormous anomalous entity located in an area between 23°██'██" and 27°██'██" N., 01°██'██" and 07°██'██" E. SCP-001’s skeletal structure is roughly humanoid, with several notable deviations including, most prominently, a total of seven (7) eye sockets arranged symmetrically across its skull . Although precise estimate is made impossible by incomplete knowledge of the entity’s biology as well as significant relocation of individual bones by the elements, it is theorized that the entity that became SCP-001 stood at roughly 150km tall.

Aerial photograph depicting one segment of SCP-001 (Operation Flashbulb 08/25/12)

The material that composes SCP-001, though externally similar to non-anomalous osseous tissue, is indestructible by any means known to the Foundation, as well as impervious to decay and erosion. Analysis of the anomaly’s composition is therefore greatly hindered, as no samples can be removed for study. Dating the anomaly is similarly impossible, although the depth of some segments within the Earth's crust suggests its arrival on the planet occurred at least four billion years ago.

Despite this, a series of markings are visible on the anomaly's skull which appear to correspond to Lichtenberg figures, seeming to indicate a large electrical discharge to its surface. These markings have not yet been replicated elsewhere on SCP-001, either by Foundation tests or natural lightning strikes, likely due to its aforementioned physical properties.

On 12/03/1949, during normal maintenance of the AHSIF systems surrounding SCP-001, sparse foliage was discovered growing in the area within roughly 10m of above-ground segments of the anomaly, as well as in areas where segments of the anomaly are located less than 10m beneath the surface. This is despite successful desertification of the area having been completed more than five (5) years prior. The foliage consisted of roughly 82% species formerly endemic to the Sahara Jungle, 17% species found in other areas of the planet, and 2% unidentified species. At least two colonies of Camponotus saharanus (Sahara carpenter ant) were also present. Arsenic acid (H 3 AsO 4 ) was applied heavily to affected areas and has proven effective in preventing further manifestation of organic matter. Continued research into this effect is considered non-vital and will not be authorized.

Description of Secondary Effect: SCP-001-A is an audiovisual phenomenon located within the cranial cavity of SCP-001 and visible through its topmost eye socket (located roughly 50m above ground level), which opens directly into the cavity. The phenomenon has no apparent source, although the radiation itself shows no anomalous physical properties.

When SCP-001-A is perceived by a non-sapient entity capable of both sight and hearing, the subject will begin to display signs of intelligence. If not taught a language compatible with their vocal capabilities, multiple subjects have been observed to develop their own methods of communication. Quadrupedal subjects will also take up a bipedal gait if possible, and will begin using their forelegs to manipulate tools. According to tests, sapience can be inherited by offspring of organic subjects for at least thirty-two (32) generations, with later subjects displaying significant genetic mutations such as increased brain mass and musculature altered to be more suited for bipedalism.

Intelligences produced by exposure to SCP-001-A differ from all other forms of non-anthropogenic anomalous intelligences by possessing complete rationality . Subjects that have been taught human language repeatedly pass all Foundation-standard rationality tests, including verification of logical axia, demonstration of abstract reasoning, and ability to distinguish between anomalous and non-anomalous materials. Anomalies in containment that correlate this data and thus are theorized to have resulted from exposure to SCP-001-A include SCP-███, SCP-███, SCP-███, and SCP-████ .

Update (02/19/35): Dr. ██████ has modeled a method to reverse the effect of SCP-0██-A, eliminating related intelligences while leaving other intelligences (natural or anomalous) unaffected, using [DATA EXPUNGED]. Due to its potential to neutralize at least one (1) Keter-class anomaly, this proposal has been approved for testing and use of necessary anomalous materials has been authorized.

Discovery: SCP-001 was first mentioned in Moroccan explorer Muhammad Ibn Battuta’s 1354 manuscript A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling. Ibn Battuta describes encountering an enormous bone, which he claimed was the leg bone of the mythical Ifrit (later determined to be one of SCP-001’s phalanges), while traveling through the Sahara jungle between Takedda and Sijilmasa.

Including Ibn Battuta, a total of five (5) explorers mention encountering segments of SCP-001 on their travels, although the only description of the anomaly’s skull prior to the Foundation expedition was by German explorer Heinrich Barth in 1857. Barth didn’t make any mention of SCP-001-A within his journals.

The Foundation first documented and contained SCP-001 in July-September of 1912 as part of Operation Flashbulb, a Foundation effort to verify supernatural claims by explorers and contain any described anomalies in response to various new and/or spreading technologies (primarily the airplane and the film camera) that may increase public knowledge of the occult.

Test Log 0██-K - 05/07/36

Video recording begins. A cage containing several white mice sits in a standard Safe-class testing chamber. The mice awkwardly stand and walk on their hind legs, some of them squealing and chirping at one another. One is manipulating a complex device that is connected to a food source. Dr. ██████ enters the shot. She appears to be wheeling in some kind of machine, although the object is obscured by a large black box that has been edited in. She holds a handheld remote, connected to the object by a wire. Dr. ██████: Alright, reversal of SCP-[AUDIO REMOVED] effects on white mice using [AUDIO REMOVED]. The time is now 18:43 and.. 22 seconds. Test begins in three, two, one, be- As Dr. ██████ presses the large button on the remote, the video goes black, showing only the text “[DATA EXPUNGED]” in white accompanied by a monotone beep. Nearly a minute later the video resumes. The black box obscuring the object used for testing now lies on its side, and small shards of glass can be seen scattered across the floor. The white mice have returned to walking on four legs and don’t show any odd behavior. Dr. ██████ squats in the center of the room, weight resting on her knuckles. She looks around frantically and whines. The door opens. Dr. █████-████████ enters slowly and appears afraid. Dr. ██████ cocks her head, walking on all fours toward him. He grabs her by the arms, dragging her out of the testing chamber as she yelps and screams, thrashing wildly. Video recording ends. Endnote: Dr. ██████ was later exposed to SCP-0██-A. Consistent with other test results, although she regained sapience, she no longer retained her memory or language. Dr. ██████ is currently undergoing rehabilitation on-site.

Addendum: In December of 1932, the following document was discovered, badly corrupted, within the computer archives of SCP-2000. Following Experiment 0██-K, it is the majority opinion of the O5 Council (10-3) that the document refers, either literally or allegorically, to SCP-0██.

+ TS/2000/001/EYES ONLY - ACCESS GRANTED Iteration numbe�: [ERROR: NaN]

Scenario class: NK/XK

Relevant anomalies: ֆCP-1#�ƽ

Description of event: Know what? FuԂ@ protocol. I'm tired and my husband is dead, so forgive me for being in a bit of a bad mood. I'm the highest ranking officer still alive a�█way, so who's gonna reprimand me for going off-script So we fo�nd a‘&���Ȍ�rdinates 2�#M)B#1N�q�Ԓ�ٶ#��+�؞qe�Z�F��R�#est inv6lvin��|�޵tՊoS#hH.��#█�Ӱdn’t take long 䤚ter that for us to start asking what exactly it meant, if all ra☒io@�itӰ originates from this one source. What if all the rul##�&�æ;xia we insti⚉ctively believe are all arbitrary, made up billions of years ago by a dead gꙮd? What if "anØm^�i=~�re just a�$;�!�turål as everything else? And what's the need for the Foundation if they are? Almost immediately personnel started demanding we lift the veil, start using our resources for the good of humanity, and release our "innoce��ےd#��� �a=¬a�'�G���v̊�utiԒied t█��(�I"4�󉩧e;#�1�j-�#[���Zli�D� Half the world's cults went after it once they found out, and a splattering of neν ones sprung up from the rumors. Even some of the Ma☐�ӊllists joined in - said it was proof that we're all "one mind", broken apa�F/��R#█▦p�)��#�&on>er�+�؞#޵0|�]?{�venth Ȍccult War was the bloodiest in our history, almost destroying nort޵�⚉st Africa. But that we know how to handle - that waٶЙ't what did us in See, containment at that point was sloppy at best, everyone refus�(I]�فo follow any procedures they thought were "unjustified" or "barbaric". With that attitude, it was only a matter of time before something failed cat��+؞�phically. No one down here knows what exactly it was that did it, all w��#r�ow is everyone else is gone. We only survived because, by chance, none of the 4/2000s lost their heads. But you may not be quite so lucky So take my advice, o ye inheritors of this miserable world. If an idea like that starts spreading, for God's sake, d�█#roy it early. Let them believe that some day, science will triumph against the darkness, that beneath it all the world makes se2se. @/tionality is<'t just a delusion. It's a disease, and if humanity is to survive, there's no hope for a cure Planet Earth iteratioԑ�#ك, signing off. Secure, Co7tain, Pr�÷£��█#

Forced amnestization of all staff with knowledge of Experiment 0██-K (9-4).

Reclassification of the anomaly to Containment Priority 001 (8-5).

Drastic alterations to the anomaly's containment procedures (10-3).

Creation of a number of decoy entries for the SCP-001 slot, several of which would implicitly support the narrative of the anomalous as inherently alien and dangerous (7-6).

As a result, the O5 Council has directly authorized four (4) actions, to be executed immediately: