SCP-3996

Here we are, then. Another frontier. I touch you, and you take me where I want to go, right?

  • rating: +109+x

Item #: SCP-3996

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3996's intangibility makes any capture impossible. Instead, Research Base 1212 has been set up to surround SCP-3996's area of operation.

No personnel are to be permitted entry into SCP-3996-1 unless given express permission for testing purposes.

Update 01/03/2001: Further exploration of SCP-3996-1 has been approved by the O5 Council. MTF Upsilon-90 "Andalusian Dogs" is to conduct all explorations, due to its experience with extradimensional anomalies and exploration.

Update 07/08/2001: Testing is indefinitely suspended.

Description: SCP-3996 refers to a herd of intangible white horses, which appear every 12 hours at the same point in the Nevadan portion of the Great Basin Desert. The SCP-3996 instances manifest at a galloping speed (40-48 kph) before gradually slowing to a halt after 100m. The SCP-3996 instances will remain in the same area for approximately ten minutes, before turning and accelerating over the 100m it initially galloped down, before demanifesting.

SCP-3996 instances can only be interacted physically if a human individual intends and attempts to climb onto an SCP-3996 instance's back and assume an ordinary riding position; the anomaly is apparently able to distinguish the intentions of any human attempting to touch it. If said individual is still on the SCP-3996 instance's back when it demanifests, then it will demanifest along with it. The SCP-3996 instance and the individual will then remanifest in another dimension, hereafter referred to as SCP-3996-1. Within SCP-3996-1, SCP-3996's cycle mirrors that found in the prime dimension.

SCP-3996-1's landscape initially appears to be identical to the scrubland of the prime dimension; however, the further away from SCP-3996's entrance point, the more the landscape changes, and the more the dimension experiences extreme fluctuations in the Hume level. These fluctuations cause significant alterations to the nature of the dimension's reality. Various anomalous organisms and non-human creatures are reputed to inhabit SCP-3996-1, possessing biological features which would not function in the prime dimension. The Hume fluctuations often reach extreme levels and occur very rapidly, which results in immense strain on any Scranton Reality Anchors used. This has resulted in several malfunctions and breakages, making their use inadvisable.

Humans do not age within SCP-3996-1, but if they return to the prime dimension their body will immediately age to match the length of time which has passed. Approximately 1km to the east of SCP-3996-1's entrance point is an oasis, surrounded by a small settlement of humans who have entered SCP-3996-1 via SCP-3996 at various points over the last 200 years. The settlement- named by the inhabitants as "Ghost Town"- contains 144 human residents, and has the appearance of a 19th century town in the American West. The town's inhabitants subsist on hunting an animal they call "potatolos"; these have been described as having the external appearance and behaviour of an American bison (Bison bison), but the internal composition of a potato (the tuberous bulb of the nightshade Solanum tuberosum).

The inhabitants of the town utilise a variety of anomalous items and practices in order to enhance their standard of living. This includes using the corpses of a species of glowing, desert-dwelling squid as lighting; the developement of walls of shifting sand and dirt to be used as a defence against unwanted intruders; and the use of a species of singing cactus as a form of public entertainment. The Foundation has decided to co-operate with the inhabitants of Ghost Town, as a safe case-study in the analysis of humanity's use of anomalies in day-to-day life.

SCP-3996 and SCP-3996-1 was first discovered by the Foundation in 1998, after a chance encounter during a containment breach of SCP-2895. SCP-3996 was being ridden by a deceased corpse, believed to be the remains of a resident of Ghost Town who attempted to return to the prime dimension after an advanced period of time.

Below is an interview log with a resident of Ghost Town.

Addendum 1: On 07/03/2001, exploration began of SCP-3996-1 by MTF Upsilon-90 "Andalusian Dogs". Composed of team members U90-1 "Persistent Memory" (Captain), U90-2 "Burning Giraffe", U90-3 "Reflecting Swan" and U90-4 "Meditative Rose", the team was instructed to proceed west and report on what they found. A table detailing of the anomalous events and organisms encountered can be seen below:

Time (Hours:Minutes) Distance from SCP-3996 (km) Anomaly observed
00:45 2.1 km A series of fruitbats, composed of sand, abruptly flew upwards from the desert, and flew north. As they did so, they began to glow, eventually reaching a light output of 30,000 lumens as they reached the edge of U90's field of vision.
01:45 4.5 km The landscape has since become noticeably rockier and contains more flora, especially gorse bushes and grass. The U90 passed betweeen two rocks; protrusions from the rocks in the shape of human hands then manifested. They attempted to seize the MTF members and drag them towards the boulders. All members of U90 were able to clear the rocks unharmed; the hands disappeared, before several appendages in the shape of human arms instead manifested themselves. A protrusion at the end of each appendage resembled a human head, with an Italian tragedy mask in lieu of a face. All of the masks stared at U90, and were continuing to do so when U90 lost visual contact.
03:59 5.8 km U90 had just cleared the rocky area, coming onto a large area of steppe or grassland. A large quantity of "potatalos", followed by a series of humanoids on horseback, then came into view. The humanoids were armed with either bows or rifles, and were attempting to hunt the potatalo; they managed to fell several of them and took them with them back to the south. Of note was that the clothing and practices of these individuals were reminiscent of a number of nomadic horseback riders throughout history, such as the Mongols, Kerait, Lakota Sioux, Kyrgyz, Bedouin and Berbers.
06:29 8.1 km The MTF was moving through a thick swamp. The entire ground and sky abruptly disappeared, leaving the MTF falling in a black void. The void suddenly transformed into a sandy desert, which the MTF then fell onto unharmed. Their instruments recorded that they were in the same position as before; a brief reconaissance mission showed that the swamp had apparently been transformed but that the rest of the surrounding landscape remained intact.
06:48 8.3 km While still in the sandy desert, a series of large pocket watches, which appeared to be melting, manifested 100m away from U90-1 "Persistent Memory". All of the watches headed for U90-1 at a fast speed, emitting a series of Spanish expletives. When they were 1m away from U90-1, they abruptly demanifested.

After 7 hours within SCP-3996-1, the decision was taken to return to SCP-3996. However, contact was lost with U90-3 "Reflecting Swan" shortly after this decision was taken; the remaining members of Upsilon-90 attempted to search for their missing teammate, but could not find her. The decision was taken to return to base; U90-3 has not resumed contact.

Addendum 2: On 12/03/2001, U90-3's camera and audio feed abruptly resumed contact for several minutes, before cutting out for a second time. Attempts to contact U90-3 failed. A log of the transmission is below; all dialogue has been translated from Lakota Sioux, U90-3's first language.

Addendum 3: On 14/04/2001, a computer file was transmitted from within SCP-3996-1. It contains a written message written by U90-3. A copy of the text can be found below.

Addendum 4: On 07/08/2001, U90-3's camera and audio feeds abruptly resumed for a period of 1 minute, before cutting out again. Attempts to contact U90-3 failed. No further transmissions have since been recieved from U90-3. A log of the transmission is below.

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