SCP-1812

Item #: SCP-1812

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-1812 is currently located 180km from the surface of the Earth, and poses no threat of collision at this time. No more than 400 personnel within the Foundation, including O5-█, O5-██ and the Site-38 astronomy department, are allowed to be fully aware of SCP-1812 at any given time, due to possible spread of knowledge of SCP-1812.

All photographs that have the possibility of depicting SCP-1812 are to be destroyed upon discovery. The Foundation is currently tracking 236 separate observatories across the planet to ensure SCP-1812 is not detected and knowledge of it spread to the general public.

Due to the effect SCP-1812 has on the perception of tides, all personnel aware of the existence of SCP-1812 are not allowed within 12km of bodies of water with a maximum depth greater than 3 meters. In the event that knowledge of SCP-1812 is leaked to between 1-10% of the general population, global deployment of aerosolized Class-A Amnestics is to occur. In the event that more than 10% of the general population is aware of SCP-1812, all coastal areas are to be evacuated, as rate of spread as well as the perception of increased tides is expected to "flood" 85% of all coastlines on the planet. Nuclear bombardment of SCP-1812 has been considered as an option in this scenario.

MEMETIC HAZARD WARNING

Personnel without clearance level 3/1812 or higher are prohibited from viewing the following photograph. Attempting to access this file without proper clearance will result in demotion, forcible administration of Class-A Amnestics, reassignment, or a combination of any of the three.

Please input password Access Granted " LUNA 2". The first known image of SCP-1812, taken by Alexander Montag, July 2nd 19██. SCP-1812 is highlighted by the red circle.

Description: SCP-1812 is believed to be an irregularly-shaped asteroid orbiting Earth at a distance of approximately 180 kilometers. SCP-1812 is approximately 8km in diameter at its widest point, and has an unusually high density of 670 g/cm3. SCP-1812 is believed to have been captured by Earth's gravity approximately 3.2 billion years ago. SCP-1812 is in a retrograde orbit around the Earth, traveling at a rate of approximately 90 minutes per each orbit. Although only 1/437th of the diameter of the moon, SCP-1812 appears much larger in comparison due to the shorter distance between it and Earth. Depending on the angle of solar light relative to SCP-1812, it goes through several phases (waxing, full, waning, new) similar to the Earth's moon.

SCP-1812 is subject to a memetic phenomenon where it is incapable of being observed by human beings by sentient individuals unless an individual announces the presence of SCP-1812 either verbally or legibly, and indicates it in some way, such as circling it in a photograph or pointing out its location with a hand gesture. The exact area indicated is inconsequential; SCP-1812 can be viewed at several different locations in the sky by several different individuals, even in daylight conditions. The existence of SCP-1812 is dubious; measurements of the space that SCP-1812 theoretically should occupy show only empty space. However, these same measurements, when performed by a person aware of SCP-1812, seemingly show the existence of the object. For the purposes of this document, it is assumed that SCP-1812 does indeed exist.

Those who are aware of the existence of SCP-1812 will perceive several differences in the environment around them. For example, once an individual is aware of SCP-1812, they will be able to perceive light reflected off of it by the sun, increasing their night vision during times when SCP-1812 is visible. The most prominent effect, however, concerns tidal cycles and SCP-1812's effect on them. SCP-1812 exerts a gravitational pull on the Earth similar to, but weaker than, the moon's; however, this pull, combined with the moon's natural attraction, causes more severe tidal cycles, leading to those affected by SCP-1812 perceiving that sea levels are approximately ██ meters lower than the norm at low tide, and up to ███ meters at high tide, and that approximately 85% of coastlines and most islands around the world have been flooded. Persons entering affected areas by any means (excluding air travel) move as if though affected by an unseen liquid, usually starting about █ kilometers inland of the actual start of the water line. Subjects are incapable of swimming through this liquid, and have great difficulty moving, indicating that the liquid has a higher viscosity than water. At the point where individuals affected by SCP-1812 have the liquid going above their head, they begin suffocating and undergo severe hypoxia, essentially drowning on dry land. This can be prevented through use of breathing apparatuses such as scuba tanks. Also, volcanic activity is perceived to increase, with minor eruptions from several volcanic sites occurring frequently, and rarely results in death due to volcanic activity (i.e. violent eruptions causing ash plumes, exposure to lava causing combustion).

Addendum: Discovery of SCP-1812: Original containment of SCP-1812 was established 2 months after its original discovery by Alexander Montag, an amateur astronomer studying at State University of New York Maritime College, Bronx, New York. Shortly after his discovery, Montag barricaded himself on the roof of the college and refused to leave for any reason, making notes on SCP-1812 (which he had dubbed "Luna 2") and its effects on the tidal cycle, believing the rest of New York City to have drowned under a massive tidal surge and that all individuals he encountered were simply hallucinations. Montag eventually constructed a boat made from an air conditioning unit and attempted to push it off into what he describes as the "New York Sea", resulting in him falling from the roof of the college and subsequently dying. The Foundation began investigating the incident when it was found Mr. Montag had survived the fall, and had died from suffocation and hypoxia. Agents recovered Mr. Montag's journal, which contained all information currently known about SCP-1812, and serves as the primary vector for the meme. It is currently unknown how Mr. Montag discovered SCP-1812 without any prior information regarding it.

Addendum: Attempts at treating individuals affected by SCP-1812 has met with little success. Attempting to reinforce that the liquid created by SCP-1812 is not real allows persons affected to enter coastal areas without drowning, but also leads to the delusion that liquid water does not exist, and leads to death by dehydration or drowning due to the inability to perceive water. Currently, ██ essential Foundation personnel who have undergone this treatment must be kept on a hydrating intravenous drip at all times. Similarly, attempts to enforce the idea that the enhanced night vision due to light reflecting off of SCP-1812 is non-existent has led to the complete inability to perceive stellar light, reflected or direct, including sunlight, leading to severe nyctophobia.