SCP-ES-041

Item #: SCP-ES-041

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-ES-041 must be stored in a circular chamber 3 meters high and 10 15 30 meters in diameter, with an air filtration capable of filtering all particulate matter, especially pollen. The internal temperature of the containment chamber should be at or below 5 degrees Celsius, with a relative humidity less than 10% (approximately 0.6 g H 2 O per kg of air). Every 72 hours, SCP-ES-041 should be sprayed with undiluted herbicide, and once every seven days the chamber should be closely examined, to identify and eliminate any plant material. No plants or plant-like organisms are to be brought within a 100 200 300 meter spherical radius of SCP-ES-041.

Description: SCP-ES-041 is a life-size alabaster statue of a kneeling man in ancient Egyptian clothing, holding two vessels in his hands; the on the subject's head is a headdress with an image of Wadjet, an Egyptian asp goddess. While this headdress is similar to the Deshret, the reed crown of Lower Egypt, this statue is not thought to represent any historical pharaoh. SCP-ES-041 is at least 5,000 years old, and is stylistically similar to other Egyptian art of the time. It has several anomalous properties:

SCP-ES-041 is much harder than non-anomalous alabaster (9 on the Mohs scale, compared to alabaster's usual hardness of 2-3)

It is extremely porous, and can absorb large amounts of water, including atmospheric moisture

Despite its age, its surface is extremely smooth, appearing polished and reflective

The object generates SCP-ES-041-1

SCP-ES-041-1 is a variety of plant that grows spontaneously on the surface of SCP-ES-041, even though the object is regularly sterilized and kept separate from other plants. When they first manifest, SCP-ES-041-1 instances take the form of moss, of an unknown species which DNA analysis identifies as closely related to the genus Sphagnum. After its initial manifestation, in a process that takes between 5 days and 3 weeks, SCP-ES-041-1 grows leaves, stems, and roots, and undergoes an anomalous mutation event; DNA samples taken from SCP-ES-041-1 instances at this stage have been close matches to plants common to the Eastern Mediterranean, such as Cyperus papyrus (the papyrus reed), Phoenix dactylifera (the date palm), and Olea europaea (the olive tree). The development of SCP-ES-041-1 is slowed by adverse conditions such as lack of water and low temperatures, but is never stopped completely.

As it matures, SCP-ES-041-1 extends its roots into the ground; when it reaches maturity, it mutates once more, growing into trees similar in appearance to apple trees in the vicinity of SCP-ES-041. The leaves of these trees grow in a variety of colors, and DNA samples taken from this stage do no correspond with any known species. SCP-ES-041-1 grows to a height between 3 and 4 meters, developing purple flowers which—without any need for pollination—grow into fruits (designated SCP-ES-041-2) similar in color and size to mangoes, with a white, fleshy interior filled with numerous black seeds. Chemical analysis has shown that this fruit is extremely nutritious, with a higher protein content than soybeans; it contains all the amino acids required by humans, and is extremely rich in sugar, fiber, vitamins and minerals, even trace minerals not present in the soil in which it grew. Tests conducted with D-Class personnel have shown that consuming two or three SCP-ES-041-2 provides all the necessary daily nutrition for an adult human being of average weight.

SCP-ES-041-2 also contains a number of psychoactive substances, including the primary psychoactive components of cannabis (THC and CBD), opium (morphine), and peyote (mescaline); this drug cocktail makes SCP-ES-041-2 extremely addictive, and causes hallucinations in those who eat it. The consumption of SCP-ES-041-2 was an important component of the cult rituals of the Great Green God (see addenda), who consumed it on special occasion and called it the "Fruit of Life".

SCP-ES-041-1 is extremely resistant to disease, insects, parasitic plants, and fungi; herbivorous birds, reptiles and mammals will eat it, and can become addicted to SCP-ES-041-2. Each seed in SCP-ES-041-2 can grow into a new instance of SCP-ES-041-1, even when planted in extremely arid, saline, or toxic soil; even a total absence of groundwater only slows the growth of SCP-ES-041-1, as it is able to absorb moisture from the air. SCP-ES-041-1 has also been shown to alter the chemical makeup of soil in which it grows, improving the conditions for other plant species. When planted as a seed, rather than generated by SCP-ES-041, instances of SCP-ES-041-1 will change their from to fit their environment; for example, seeds planted in fresh water matured into plants similar to the Egyptian white water lily, while those planted near walls or trellises became climbing vines.

It has recently been discovered that plants in the vicinity of SCP-ES-041 will be slowly transmuted into instances of SCP-ES-041-1; this effect has a maximum range of 250 meters.

A fully mature specimen of SCP-ES-041-1.

Addendum: The Cult of the Great Green God + ACCESS GRANTED SCP-ES-041 is closely linked to a religious sect that worshiped an entity known as the Great Green God; the cult's first recorded appearance was in ancient Egypt, during Dynasty ██. The cult likely emerged in the south of the ancient Egyptian empire, near the bored with Nubia. Its exact city of origin is unknown, as there seems to have been a deliberate attempt to erase its name from the historical record. Unlike the consistent polytheism of other Egyptian cities, this city worshiped a single god, initially represented in a similar manner to Ptah, as a mummy made out of green flesh; while originally it had a similar domain to Ptah, it eventually acquired its own identity as a deity of plants and nature, with sacred groves and oases rather than stone temples. The few surviving documents that describe this cult's practices indicate that they believed vegetable matter was purer than animal flesh, and therefore more valuable; they were forbidden from eating any fruit or vegetables—with the exception of the "Fruit of Life", SCP-ES-041-2—and from using any material of plant origin, including wooden furniture or boats, plant fibers in clothing and footwear, and papyrus for writing. This cult existed independently for at least 600 years, despite frequent conflict with the powerful Egyptian priesthood caused by their refusal to allow the worship of any other god in their city or pay the necessary taxes to maintain that same priestly class. At some unknown time, the city where this cult originated was destroyed. It may have happened during the reign of Ramses III, after the so-called "Royal Harem Conspiracy" initiated an uprising of the Nubian population against the pharaoh. Another theory suggests that it may have happened at the end of Dynasty XX, around 1050 BCE, when there were once again violent Nubian separatist movements. Note: These theories have been proposed by Foundation historians based on the limited evidence available; there is currently not enough historical data to come to a firm conclusion. After the destruction of its city of origin, there are several vague and disconnected references that may indicate the survival of this cult. In the first century CE, the historian Cleonicus of Thebes claimed that Alexander the Great had, after his conquest of Egypt, visited a sacred oasis where he worshiped a "god made of reed", and that the priests of this god, in order to win the favor of the great Macedonian conqueror, had named him the son of this god. However, he rejected this honor, since he preferred to ingratiate himself with the priests of the mainstream god of Egypt. A 3rd century CE temple in the Nubian city of Meroe has a relief on one of its walls depicting the lion-god Apedemak fighting against a god made of "green meats", from whose mouth sprout leaves and roots. According to Rufinus of Aquileia, after the destruction of the Serapeum of Alexandria by a Christian mob in the year 391, the Christian patriarch Theophilus discovered a hidden pagan temple dedicated to a "god of the forests", who lived in a purple-leaved tree whose fruits were said to grant immortality. Theophilus destroyed the temple along with every tree consecrated to this god, who apparently did not belong to the Egyptian pantheon. There is a reference in the apocryphal gospel of the Epionites to an idol from which "leaves and roots" sprung, worshiped in a small valley on the shores of the Dead Sea in the time of Herod Antipas. The idol and the sect that it worshiped had been destroyed during the first Judeo-Roman war (66-73 CE), although whether by the Roman legions or the Jewish rebels is unknown.

Recovery Log: No new references to this cult were found until 1938, when an expedition of the SS-Ahnenerbe that sought to identify the Aryan roots of Egyptian civilization discovered a 12-century BCE tomb approximately 30 kilometers from the Valley of the Kings belonging to a royal court scribe named Iuwelot. Inside this tomb was a statue that did not seem to date to the same period as the rest of the tomb, and 31 clay tablets with hieroglyphic, hieratic, and ancient Greek script (see file SCP-ES-041-A12). According to the archaeologist who discovered the tomb, "[it] was completely filled with leaves and vine-like branches, dry and brittle with age; some roots had penetrated the outer stone sarcophagus, and even through the inner wooden sarcophagus, until they had partially covered the mummy within." The war kept the statue and clay tablets in Egypt until 1942, when they were moved to Germany; after this, they were lost for some time.

In the 1970s a religious sect named "the Children of the Vine" emerged in Italy; this sect was devoted to the worship of nature, and committed acts of ecoterrorism, including the murder of two businessmen involved in the lumber industry. The sect attracted the attention of the Foundation in 199█, in response to rumors of strange "orgiastic rites" in a small forest 50 kilometers east of ██████████, Sicily. When the Foundation investigated, it was discovered that 40% of the trees in the forest corresponded to specimen of SCP-ES-041-1, and that in the very center of the forest was a broad clearing filled with purple flowers, in which SCP-ES-041 was found. SCP-ES-041 was taken into custody, and all instances of SCP-ES-041-1 were destroyed by a controlled forest fire. Subsequent operations led to the capture of ██ members of the "Children of the Vine"; most of these individuals were amnesticized, and a few were contained in Foundation-owned psychiatric hospitals. These operations also led to the recovery of the 31 clay tablets discovered in the initial excavation.

Incident SA-L65235: Two years after the containment of SCP-ES-041, the Antares Society, using [REDACTED] as an intermediary, offered to buy the statue for a large sum of money. After the Foundation refused, the society offered to exchange SCP-ES-041 for a copy of SCP-████. When the second offer was refused, the Society attempted to use more aggressive methods, including the use of bribery, extortion, and physical threats to Foundation personnel.

After these attempts failed, the Antares Society [REDACTED] and proceeded to break all contact with the Foundation.

At 23:30 on ██-██-200█, Site-21, a facility disguised as a solar power plant dedicated to the containment of plant-based anomalies, was attacked by a group of mercenaries hired by the Antares Society. The attackers, heavily armed and numbering more than 20 individuals, were attempting to acquire SCP-ES-041; after breaking through Site-21's initial defenses, they accidentally caused SCP-████ to break containment, leading to the deaths of almost all human beings in the facility. The attack ended with the deaths of 26 Foundation personnel and 17 mercenaries, the capture of 3 mercenaries, and the escape of ██ instance of SCP-████ and an indeterminate number of surviving mercenaries.

While the mercenaries did not acquire SCP-ES-041, they did successfully steal the clay tablets found with the statue. After this attack, Site-21 was dismantled and relocated.

Two days after the attack, it was discovered that Dr. █████████ and his family had been kidnapped one week earlier while on vacation. Dr. █████████ was found wandering the streets of ██████████, a coastal town in Portugal, confused and with no clear memories of the last several days. He was physically well with the exception of the markings of restraints on his arms and legs, but was clearly suffering from psychological distress and could not answer questions about what had happened to him. When the house he had rented with his family was searched, his wife and two children were located in a closet, hungry and dehydrated but otherwise unharmed. His testimony, along with statements made by the captured mercenaries, indicated that the kidnapping was the work of the Antares Society, who had forced Dr. █████████ to reveal information about Site-21 so that they could plan their attack. Their goal was to obtain (or to "liberate", in their minds) SCP-ES-041, which they consider to be an "avatar", the physical manifestation of a superior extradimensional intelligence (although not a true god).

Dr. █████████ is currently in treatment at a Foundation-owned psychiatric hospital.