SCP-722

Item #: SCP-722

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Due to the unique nature of SCP-722, effectiveness of containment measures are as of yet untried. Containment measures are currently focused on maintaining the current state of SCP-722 until a more permanent solution can be found. Brain-wave activity, heart rate and internal temperature of the artifact are to be monitored at all times, as well as any variances in the integrity and volume of the glacial range within which SCP-722 currently resides, particularly Kangerdlugssuaq. Eight access points exist at various points in the glacier, each sealed by an airlock, with sound dampeners lining the glacial interior. At four hour intervals, nitrogen gas chilled to a near-liquid state is to be pumped into the room to lower the internal temperature as much as possible.

Access into SCP-722's chamber is to be permitted only in the event of emergency maintenance, which should be performed by a team of Class D personnel with a security detail of at least two clearance level 3 Agents. Anyone gaining entry into SCP-722's chamber is to be outfitted with a suit of high-extremity polar wear and a set of nightvision goggles as the interior chamber is unlit. Security personnel should be outfitted with a silenced flechette pistol and take extreme caution in the event of its use. Should any personnel involved in a maintenance operation attempt to compromise the artifact in any way, they should be terminated with extreme prejudice regardless of security clearance. Security personnel are required to report their status at 10 minute intervals. In the event of a lapse in reports, the interior chamber is to be flooded with nitrogen gas until no life forms are detected.

All agents entering SCP-722's enclosure are advised to not make any attempt to touch the artifact as it is known to be extremely volatile. The far extremities of SCP-722 are to be avoided at all costs. In the event of contact with the artifact, agents are advised to immediately exit the enclosure and report to the base medic for detox.

Description: SCP-722 was found in the eastern glacial ranges of Greenland by Greenpeace activists making a documentary on the effects of global warming. Upon descending into a crevasse that had opened up on the southern end of the Kangerdlugssuaq glacier, they discovered a network of tunnels within the glacier which had long since been smoothed out, eventually reaching a series of larger chambers which seemed to host a tremendous serpentine body. After another hour of exploration the team left the glacier and headed to the nearby town of ██████████. Within hours most of the team felt symptoms of a wide array of sicknesses resembling everything from swollen lymph nodes to fast necrosis of the skin. By nightfall the entire team was dead. An SCP operative on leave caught wind of the story and sent notification to high command.

SCP-722 is by all accounts a terrestrial serpent, of incredible size, length, and girth, coiled through a series of tunnels of unknown origin. Most of the tunnels in SCP-722's enclosure are completely smooth, though a few patches, specifically on the paths nearest to the head and tail of the artifact, are marked with some form of ancient Nordic script. All attempts to translate the script have ended in failure, and the dialog appears to pre-date the settlement of the island by Erik the Red at the turn of the 11th century. No historical records exist of any previous settlement in Greenland, so the source of the script is currently a mystery.

SCP-722 is clearly in a state of prolonged slumber, and many parts of the creature's body have become embedded in the glacier, possibly due to cave-ins or parts of the ice re-forming over many years. While this would normally warrant a Euclid ranking, SCP-722's immense size (currently estimated at between 8 and 12km) could pose a threat to nearby cities or the world at large in the event of it awakening. Additionally, the artifact possesses formidable defensive abilities. (See attached document, #722-A)

Document #722-A: Unidentified Toxin '722'

SCP-722's skin seems to secrete a potent toxin which has currently eluded all attempts at identification. Symptoms seem largely random on a case by case basis, but the end result is invariably death. All attempts at synthesizing an antidote to date have failed. Harvesting the poison for sampling procedures or weaponization has also proved unsuccessful - the poison seems to deteriorate rapidly after leaving its host and is all but useless by the time it reaches our labs. Retrieval has also proven to be invariably fatal, no matter what configuration of hazardous materials handling we have implemented. Given the loss of manpower and the extreme difficulty in obtaining more personnel given the range of this outpost, we recommend discontinuing any further testing.

Document #722-B: 'Defensive' capabilities?

Doctors ███████, ██████████, ██████, and Agent ████████████ (3-103-589) have all contributed the opinion that artifact SCP-722's poison is not defensive in nature, but intended to be used as a weapon. This theory has begun to circulate based on report [DATA EXPUNGED] regarding the incident on [DATA EXPUNGED]. Given the misting of the poison in the northernmost edges of the glacier, and posthumous examinations of the affected, it would appear that the artifact breathes the poison in a slightly less potent but still invariably fatal form. While poison as a weapon is not representative of reptiles in terrestrial nature, it has been noted at the request of our research team.

Document #722-C, Memo: Moratorium on expeditions into the glacier

All forays into the glacier are forbidden, effective immediately, excepting the case of emergency maintenance. Since the incident on [DATA EXPUNGED] SCP-722 has seen a 0.9% increase in brain activity. Any unauthorized personnel attempting access into the glacial interior are to be terminated without question, regardless of security clearance. Agents and non-essential personnel alike have been reckless in their handling of the artifact - I will take this opportunity to remind you that we are dealing with a matter of worldwide importance, as this is a Keter-level SCP. If Site 103 is to remain in operation, then we must maintain our vigilance of standard security protocols. My predecessor was removed from his position for a reason. Follow in his footsteps, and you will find yourselves in the same shoes as him. -Brig. Gen ████ ███████ (4-103-002)

Document #722-D, Memo: Proposed explanation for toxin

Doctor █████████ has hypothesized that there may be a phylogenetic relationship between SCP-722 and other large reptiles, specifically positing it as a limbless or "glass" lizard within or close to the Varanus genus (including Varanus komodoensis or the Komodo dragon), and citing its immense size and use of a necrotic agent produced from its mouth as a predatory weapon. It is proposed that a team be sent to acquire samples of live tissue for genetic testing and, if possible, further toxin samples to look for bacteriological activity or residue.