In which Dr. Hillard discovers a MYSTERIOUS CORAL UNLIKE ANY BEFORE SEEN BY MAN—
Special Containment Procedures: The town surrounding SCP-672 has been mostly demolished, and Area-672 has been established in its place with the goal of monitoring and containing SCP-672. The anomaly has been partially excavated from its crater, with the surrounding ground saturated with water via an installed irrigation system, as to prevent the impactor from further spreading. The samples of SCP-672 that were removed from Area-672 during its construction and initial pruning are to be kept under strict containment at Geological Research Site-898 under telekill shielding.
When SCP-672 enters its active state, it is to be fed available livestock1 until cessation of the event. After each of these feedings, a pruning is to be done to ensure the anomaly does not expand beyond the crater, and removed SCP-672 pieces are to be submerged in water until rendered deceased. Any civilians attempting to enter Area-672 are to be detained and given psychological evaluation. Individuals whose mental faculties have been compromised by SCP-672 are moved to a secure location.
Any personnel staffed at Area-672 must pass sufficient CRV testing before being permitted upon the grounds.
Description: SCP-672 is the joint designation for two symbiotic anomalies, designated SCP-672-A and SCP-672-B. SCP-672-A is a form of oolitic limestone2 that behaves according to a living coral structures and, notably, contains unusually high concentrations of iron. SCP-672-B is a zooxanthellae-like3 microorganism that is extremely sensitive to moisture, which will perish upon direct exposure to water. These microorganisms construct SCP-672-A colonies on surface rock as a means of protection and reproduction.
SCP-672-A.
In order to feed and reproduce, SCP-672 will enter an active state. In this state, coral polyps will emerge from SCP-672-A and emit an iridescent glow. The anomaly will then begin interfering with the dreams of humans and other complex animals.4 The details of said dreams appear to vary from person to person, but universally result in the individual feeling the desire to seek out the colony through any means possible. Once its prey has climbed onto the central rock body, typically exhausting themselves in the process, SCP-672 will use radula structures to scrape and tear off flesh in order to feed on its stranded prey. Typically after feeding, SCP-672 will use the consumed biomass to facilitate and expand its growth.
The Department of Geology became aware of SCP-672 on January 3rd, 1985, when satellite imaging on the town of Mosiac, Arizona discovered what had initially appeared to be an out of place limestone deposit5 within a large crater structure. MTF Gamma-89 ("Rock and a Hard Place") was dispatched to the location, as this occurrence appeared both recent and sudden. Upon arrival, Gamma-89 discovered that the buildings in the town had been covered entirely by SCP-672-A growths, and that the entire population had been consumed.6 Area-672 was swiftly established in order to monitor the anomaly, and prohibit outside access. SCP-672 was pruned back down to its source impactor, and locked down.
The prevailing theory relating to SCP-672's origin, proposed by Project Lead Dr. Francis Hillard, is that SCP-672 originated as a meteorite due to the impact crater that its central node rests within. This concept has been primarily supported by the traces of heavy metals and rock that have been found within the surrounding soils.
Incident 672.1: Throughout the months of July and August 1987, a small subset of Area-672's current staff began reporting disruptions to their sleep. However, monitoring of SCP-672 showed no activation events or disturbances during the times in question. In fact, the anomaly seemed to cease all activity at this time. As a result, these cases were dismissed as coincidence by Dr. Hillard. In spite of this, they would continue into September, with some members of staff expressing confusion, concern, and irritability. CRV screenings were inconclusive in regards to any outside influence.
Dr. Hillard continued to deny creditability to any claims, due to a lack of activity from the SCP-672 impactor. There was proposition to investigate the soil around SCP-672 for unaccounted for growth, but this was considered unlikely as the saturation of Area-672's grounds by water would've prevented any SCP-672 polyps from surviving.
On September 20th, the first SCP-672 activation event since June occurred.
Staff tensions would culminate on September 27th, 1987 when Agent Rosa Pierce, a guard stationed at Area-672, commandeered a civilian UH-1H helicopter and flew over Area-672. She then released the aircraft's entire tank of water over the center of SCP-672's biomass during another active state, resulting in significant damage to the anomaly and the cessation of the event. Agent Pierce landed the aircraft about one mile from Area-672's perimeter, and peacefully surrendered to members of security. She was soon interviewed by Dr. Hillard, transcribed below.
[BEGIN LOG]
Hillard: Good afternoon, Agent Pierce. Are you ready to begin?
Pierce: Look, let's just skip the pleasantries and get this over with. I don't want to do this any more than you do.
Hillard: I see 672's influence hasn't done anything to curb your attitude.
Pierce: I told you, I'm not under the influence of — Whatever. This will be recorded, right?
Hillard: Well, this is either an issue of someone acting under the influence of a contained anomaly, or insubordination. So yes, this will be recorded, and it will be reviewed by parties capable of taking disciplinary action. If you're not under 672's influence, as you've repeatedly claimed, I suggest you choose your words carefully.
Pierce: Ah. Someone else will see it. Good. Let's hope their judgement is better than yours.
Dr. Hillard lets out a sigh.
Hillard: Lets get started, then. Agent Pierce, when you attempted to neutralize SCP-672, were you being influenced by the anomaly to do so?
Pierce: Well first of all, I wasn't trying to kill the damn thing—
Hillard: Answer the question.
Pierce: Fuck, man, you're not going to listen, are you? No, I wasn't being mind controlled by the damn coral.
Hillard: So you contend that your actions were entirely your own, and were not impacted by mental interference from 672?
Pierce: What? No, that's not what I — That's a completely different question! I can explain what happened, but if you're just going to talk past me the whole time, you might as well just end the interview now.
There is silence between the two of them.
Pierce: Are we done here?
Hillard: No. If you think my questions are getting in the way, why don't you just explain what happened yourself?
Pierce: Fine.
Pierce's brow furrows, and she goes silent. After some time, she leans back, and begins to speak.
Pierce: You remember during the intake interview, when you asked if I was a lucid dreamer? I don't blame you if you don't. I told you most nights I don't even dream, but when I do, I just wake up with a few hazy images left on my mind. Even those disappear soon enough. I'm pretty grateful for that. I know with some of the shit I've seen, my brain could probably conjure up some killer nightmares.
Pierce tilts her head.
Pierce: Hell, some of them might literally be killer. How many of us die in our sleep, I wonder?
Hillard: Please try to remain on subject.
Pierce: Right. Sorry. It's just, knowing all that, you might be able to understand how I felt when I found myself in a dream. Like half of the other people here, I was having restless nights. I knew I was asleep, in the moment, and I started to panic. I mean, everything around me was so vivid, I knew something was happening, and I doubted it was going to be good for me. I was right on the money there, I guess.
Hillard: Could you please explain the contents of the dream?
Pierce: Yeah. It was vivid. Eerie. I couldn't feel the air on my face, or the ground under my feet, but I… felt physically present. I could feel my body was there, even though I couldn't move it or see it. Thought it might be sleep paralysis at first, except I wasn't staring up at the ceiling or out at the far end of my bed. I was high up in the air, looking down at the desert, and the shitty, half-wrecked town I've been stationed at for the past several months. Not quite sure how I recognized it, since most of it is long gone. I just knew that's what I was looking at. And I knew there were people there, too, even though it was night and everyone was inside. I knew what I was about to see, once I realized that. Didn't make it any less horrible.
Pierce stops, staring off into space. After a few moments of silence, Hillard coughs.
Hillard: If this is too much for you right now, we can call off the interview for now.
Pierce: No! No. I want to get this over with.
Hillard: Then why don't you continue? Do you remember what happened in the dream?
Pierce sighs.
Pierce: Yeah. I do. As soon as I realized what I was looking at, there was a noise, like something out of the bowels of Hell. Don't know how to put it into words. It was like the earth contained a giant leg bone, and it had just been split clean in two by some massive force. The buildings started to waver and the earth below them started to move unnaturally. Not like there was an earthquake, but like the surface was a blanket, which something was trying to force its way through. People began to cry out in confusion and panic, and somehow I could hear them all as though they were right behind me. I wanted to plug my ears, but I couldn't move my body, if it was even there in the first place. My senses were glued to the scene, and there was nothing I could do to shut myself off from it.
There was… a well in the center of the town. I don't know why it was built. Doubt it ever worked, and the river is right there. But they had a well. It was shaking more violently than the surrounding area, spasming as though it were a corpse which thousands of volts of electricity were rushing through. It thrashed, jolted, and then, the darkness of the well was illuminated by… Well, you know, don't you. That light.
Hillard: SCP-672 was emerging from the ground in an active state?
Pierce: Bingo. As the well collapsed into a sinkhole, that damn color rushed out faster than I could see. A few people had left their homes to see what was happening, and they were engulfed almost instantly. The people still in the homes didn't fare any better. The color — the coral — swept out of the hole in an instant. Buried the whole town, buildings and cars and people, screaming, like a wave that froze upon impact. It made the crater, in that sweep. And then, it was over. The coral stopped moving, and the color faded into beige. And it was silent, I think. I couldn't really tell. I could still hear the screams of those people, as though they were right in my ear, as the coral slowly liquefied them. They kept screaming and screaming, even after their brains and vocal cords had been digested, and they no longer understood anything other than that pain.
Pierce stops talking. This time, they are looking at Hillard expectantly. Hillard sighs.
Hillard: I'm not sure what you want me to say, Agent Pierce. You've certainly had the most vivid dream of any of SCP-672's victims we've been able to interview. I'm sorry I accused you of insubordination earlier, it's clear you're actions were taken while under the influence of a hostile anomaly—
Pierce slams her fist on the table, causing Hillard to jump.
Pierce: Fuck, Hillard! You're still not listening! I didn't dump a shit ton of water on the coral because it was telling me to!
Hillard: I understand this it's upsetting to realize your actions aren't entirely your own, but your actions are in line with those of other victims of 672. What makes you think 672 had no influence on your actions?
Pierce: I didn't say 'no influence!' It definitely had some influence. But I still have my wits about me, unlike those other poor saps we've rescued.
Hillard: Are you trying to convince me of that, or yourself?
Pierce: I— Look, why do you think I dumped the water over one spot instead of strafing it?
Hillard: I assume, since you know exactly how 672 operates, you were able to come up with a way to attack 672 that would do major damage without putting you at risk.
Pierce: That's not what I— I didn't dump water on 672 to damage it. I dumped water into 672 to open up the cavern it erupted from. To get you to fucking listen to what everyone in this Area has been telling you for months! Something is wrong! It's fucking underneath us, Hillard!
Hillard: Agent Pierce, there is no cavern. Despite what you saw in your dream, we know for a fact that 672 originated from a meteor impact. We've run tests on the surrounding earth that have found trace metals that you're not going to find on the surface.
Pierce: But could just as easily get dredged up by something emerging from the Earth.
Hillard scowls.
Pierce: Look, I'm not going to pretend to understand how your tests work, but if you fly a drone into the hole I just made, you'll see it came from a cavern. A deep one, at that. Eventually it grew too big for that cavern, and drew people towards it for sustenance.
Hillard: Agent Pierce, I don't appreciate you suggesting my years of research on this project are wrong.
Pierce: Respectfully, I don't give a shit! I don't want to diminish your work, but you have a tendency to jump to conclusions and find justifications for them afterwards. Fuck, you've been doing that for this entire conversation, for actual months despite everyone telling you that we might've been wrong about it! Stop being such a stubborn ass for once in your life and listen to me! It's in the ground! It is growing! Please, just send a drone into the cavern, or — fuck, actually just dig out the town. Under our buildings.
Hillard: Sorry?
Pierce: It's not content with just farm animals, Hillard. It's growing towards the largest source of food nearby. That's us.
There is a long silence between the two of them.
Hillard: No, I suppose it can't hurt to check.
Pierce's shoulders loosen.
Pierce: Thank you.
Hillard gets up from her seat.
Hillard: Thank you for your time, Agent Pierce.
[End Log]
Following this interview, Agent Pierce's claims were investigated by Area-672 and, in an unsanctioned decision by staff, Dr. Hillard was summarily stripped of his role as Project Lead. Via excavation and GPR7 it was discovered the cave Agent Pierce described did indeed exist. This cavern, and by extension significant area beneath Area-672, was found to be completely infested by SCP-672.
All of Area-672 is considered compromised. Action pending.
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