In the 2080s, an old marine biologist discovers that corals are back from extinction, with a vengeance. 5.8k words
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SCP-9154 - Swing for the bleachers, by
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⚠️ Content warning: This article contains: description of body horror
STOAT NEWS 24/7
Why the de-extinction of coral is bad for the economy
Greg Nielsen
16th of June, 2086
The reintroduction of corals to the Caribbean Sea has had a number of undesirable effects. In the past month, hundreds of employees at ExxArc have lost their jobs as oil platforms in the region have been forced to close due to a phenomenon that has been dubbed 'coral clogging'.
After two decades of reckless genetic engineering, an international team of careless scientists with backing from the European Union, African Union, and a number of governments has unleashed genetically engineered species in the Caribbean Sea as part of a project aiming to restore the oceans of the early 21st century. These include a variety of species ranging from corals and sponges to whale sharks and cuttlefish, which have been extinct in the wild since the 2060s.
This has given rise a new phenomenon dubbed 'coral clogging' where corals, and sometimes sponges, grow inside boreholes as well as on equipment, resulting in clogging and structural damage. Due to these species being classed as 'critically endangered' following their reintroduction to the wild, measures to remove them from oil platforms have been deemed illegal. However, ExxArc has announced a research project aiming to discover a way to repel them from yet unaffected rigs.
"It's unbelievable. I took this job so I could pay for my kids' college tuition, and I'm just not ready to tell them that only one of them might be able to go now," says Steve Bennett, a technical diver who recently found himself unemployed after ExxArc's recent layoffs.
ExxArc CEO DeForest Morgan has accused the scientists behind the project of inserting genes in the corals to make them seek out hydrocarbons in a deliberate move to sabotage the industry, which a representative of the project has 'unsubstantiated'.
At the current rate of spread, 'coral clogging' is estimated to cause damages upwards of 100 000 000 000€ and the loss of up to 20 000 jobs before the end of July.
Special Containment Procedures:1
Due to its potential ecological impacts, SCP-9154 is to remain uncontained, and its proliferation is to be encouraged. Efforts are instead to be focused on protecting marine infrastructure as per the 2086 Caribbean Sea Agreement with GoI-236 'ExxArc'.
A cover story has been created asserting that SCP-9154 is the result of genetic engineering, and that all SCP-9154-1 instances corresponding to previously extinct species are clones of deceased specimens. This is asserted to be backed by multiple national governments and intergovernmental organisations around the Atlantic, which have agreed to take part in information containment efforts.
ExxArc Dossier
Founded: 2059
Base of Operations: Christchurch, New Zealand
Background: ExxArc was initially founded under the name Exxon-Aramco as a merger of the two largest oil corporations at the time, but later rebranded itself as ExxArc after merging with additional corporations within the fossil fuel industry, the entirety of which it has since grown to incorporate. At its height in 2065, ExxArc had a net worth equivalent to 11% of the world's GDP, but has since been in decline due to dwindling oil supplies.
In the past decade, ExxArc has begun to expand into the anomalous world as a means to prolong its lifespan. Sub-veil activities have included using anomalies to replenish oil wells, mask carbon emissions, and the incorporation of anomalous microbes in some industrial processes.
Due to their efforts to keep their anomalous activities hidden from the public, and ExxArc being the sole supplier of multiple critical resources, the Foundation has maintained neutral relations with ExxArc, but has on occasion taken actions against ExxArc assets when the veil has been threatened.
ExxArc's current CEO, DeForest Morgan, has been in control of the group since 2063, and has an estimated net worth in the trillions of euros.
Description:
SCP-9154 is an anomalous species of coral phenotypically identical to the staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis). SCP-9154 differs from non-anomalous staghorn corals in several ways:
- SCP-9154 instances are able to expand each day by an amount equivalent to fifty years of growth in non-anomalous staghorn corals.
- The planulae2 of SCP-9154 are capable of locomotion at velocities of up to 9 m/s3. They display a strong preference for attaching to stationary metallic, ceramic, and plastic surfaces.
- Artificial surfaces that SCP-9154 instances grow on are slowly transformed into aragonite4.
- SCP-9154 is highly resilient to high temperatures and low pH levels, being able to survive temperatures of up to ~80°C and pH levels down to ~2. This resilience is also found in its zooxanthellae.5
- Areas in which SCP-9154 is present see a rapid rise in biodiversity, with other marine species constantly manifesting, denoted as SCP-9154-1 instances. These include previously extinct species native to the Western Atlantic Ocean, such as:
- Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus)
- Longsnout butterflyfish (Prognathodes aculeatus)
- Goliath groupers (Epinephelus itajara)
- Apart from regularly taking the form of extinct species, SCP-9154-1 instances are entirely non-anomalous.
Discovery:
The Foundation first became aware of SCP-9154 on 2086-05-13, after receiving communications from ExxArc stating that an oil platform off the coast of Nicaragua had been rendered non-operational by the sudden appearance of a coral reef and promptly collapsed into the sea.6 ExxArc granted the Foundation temporary access to the rig on the condition that it would attempt to devise a way to protect further ExxArc assets from damage, asserting that they would take decisive action if SCP-9154 could not be warded off effectively. For additional information, see Addendum 9154.1.
Addendum 9154.1 — Initial site investigation:
Date: 2086-05-13
Personnel present: Dr. Vasileiou, Junior Researcher Reyes, Steve Bennett7
Note: Dr. Vasileiou was the Foundation's foremost marine biologist prior to 2065, by which point marine biologists had become mostly obsolete.
<BEGIN LOG>
<Extraneous footage omitted for brevity.>
<Vasileiou, Reyes, and Bennett dive from the SCPS Cousteau, being immediately met by a massive school of yellow jacks (Carangoides bartholomaei.) that begin to flee as soon as they enter the water.>
Vasileiou: Woah.
<As the yellow jacks swim further away, they reveal a large rocky structure resembling a crane overgrown with several species of corals and sponges approximately 5 metres below the group. The crane is circled by numerous species of triggerfish, wrasse, and angelfish. A goldentail moray eel (Gymnothorax miliaris) peeks out from a hole in the structure, and a loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) fades into existence in front of Vasileiou.>
Vasileiou (quietly): You're… back.
Reyes: What?
Vasileiou: There's just so much here I haven't seen in… decades. Corals, sponges, queen angelfish, cherubfish, sargassum triggerfish, and not a damn moon jelly in sight.
Reyes: It's kinda like diving into an aquarium.
Vasileiou: That's… one way to put it.
Bennett: You two can marvel at this stuff later, you have work to do.
<Vasileiou mumbles something.>
Vasileiou: Fine, let's descend. Reyes, get the containers ready.
<As the group descends, Reyes reaches into his bag, taking out a net holding several empty sample containers. He opens the net and takes out a container before closing the net again.>
Vasileiou: Staghorn seems to be the most abundant coral here. It was—is a reef-builder, so it makes perfect sense for it to be the primary anomaly here.
<Vasileiou gets a pair of pliers from her belt. She hesitates for a moment before snipping off a piece of staghorn coral, which she places into the container Reyes is holding.>
<The group takes additional samples of various species of coral, sponge, tunicate, tube worm, and bryozoan over the course of half an hour without incident, while slowly descending along the structure. As the group descends, the shape of an oil platform on the bottom becomes increasingly clear. A large mass is visible in the center of what appears to be the heli-pad.>
Vasileiou: Looks like a giant barrel sponge, but it looks way too big for how long it's been here, even more so than the rest of the animals here. Let's get a closer look and take some samples.
<As the group descends further, an adult whale shark (Rhincodon typus) measuring approximately 16 metres with 7 remoras attached fades into existence 9 metres from the crane. The shark immediately begins to circle it.>
<Reyes and Bennett continue to descend towards the sponge. A Nassau grouper ( Epinephelus striatus) is floating half a metre above it.>
Reyes: If I'm not mistaken, this thing should be a good two thousand years old based on the size. What do you think, Vasileiou?
<Reyes looks around.>
Reyes: Vasileiou?
<There is no response from Vasileiou, Bennett and Reyes look around and see her slowly treading water approximately 10 meters above them. Reyes begins swimming upwards toward her, but is immediately grabbed by Bennett.>
Bennett: Stop, you need to decompress, Trimix only goes so far.
Reyes: Right, thanks.
Bennett: Doctor, are you alright?
<Vasileiou appears unresponsive. She is slowly sinking. Her breathing is getting louder.>
Reyes: Vasileiou, are you alright?
Vasileiou: Twenty years…
Reyes: What?
Vasileiou: It's been twenty god damn years. Twenty god damn years since all of this was lost.
Bennett: You need to calm down, Doctor, easy breathing. I get why you're upset, I really do, but we're seventy meters down, this isn't one of those leisure dives from back in your day.
<Vasileiou's breathing slowly calms down.>
Vasileiou: You're— you're right.
<Vasileiou begins to descend again.>
<The group continues to swim towards the sponge.>
Vasileiou: You're right Reyes, this specimen has got to be at least two thousand years old, yet it obviously wasn't here a few days ago. Remarkable.
<Reyes takes out a container, Vasileiou takes a scraping from the sponge and places it in the container.>
Bennett: That's very fascinating, but I think we should take a look at the legs of the rig, we need to know how the hell these things toppled it.
Vasileiou: Yeah, I'm curious about that as well. If anything, corals build structures, they don't tear them down like this.
<The group resumes swimming in the direction of the closest edge, passing by a wide variety of sponges and corals, many of which not known to grow at the current depth. Small fish dart in and out of holes in the rig as well as porous sponges as the group passes them. As they pass the edge of the oil rig, its snapped legs come into view, all overgrown, moreso around the points where they have snapped. Vasileiou approaches one of the snapping points and looks closer.>
Vasileiou: This is aragonite, all the way through, there's no doubt about it. The anomaly must be turning the surfaces it grows on into the very same mineral that stony corals build their skeletons from.
Reyes: That would explain the collapse, an inelastic material like that would be more prone to breaking like this.
<Extraneous footage omitted for brevity.>
<END LOG>
Two decades have passed since the last coral reefs disappeared, and most of the remaining marine life with it. Habitats vanished, food webs collapsed, with dire consequences for life on land. I believe that containing this anomaly, which has been designated SCP-9154, would be a grave mistake, as its existence presents an unprecedented opportunity for ecological restoration. I propose classifying SCP-9154 as an 'Archon', as it has demonstrated the ability to restore not just the ocean of the past, but also a past normalcy where we don't have to use ectoentropic anomalies to keep the masses fed.
-Dr. Vasileiou
O5 Vote Tally
| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 4 | 2 |
Over the following 2 months, Foundation researchers carried out a series of experiments on SCP-9154 in attempts to discover methods for repelling it from specific structures. Two such methods were discovered: covering artificial surfaces with natural materials such as sediment and rocks such that there is no space for the growth of SCP-9154 instances, or maintaining a water temperature above 80°C. However, the former proved insufficient when applied to active oil platforms in the field, and the latter was deemed infeasible due to the required energy upkeep.
Communications from ExxArc ceased on 2086-07-14, by which point all off-shore oil and gas rigs in the Caribbean Sea had been rendered non-functional or destroyed by SCP-9154.
Incident Report 9154-860723
At 02:30 2086-07-23, the Foundation research vessel SCPS Cousteau reported unusual movements off the coast of Port-au-Prince, Haiti being detected by on-board sonar. Over the next 30 minutes, this was corroborated by other Foundation vessels deployed in the region, revealing a total of 450 objects appearing to be in the process of spreading out evenly across the surface of the Caribbean Sea at high velocities.
[03:15]: Foundation military vessels in the region, including aerial and aquatic combat drones as well as MTF Theta-5 "The Bigger Boat", are mobilised. All civilian and research vessels are ordered to evacuate to the closest port. Civilian vessels are given a cover story of potential signs of an impending seaquake.
[03:32]: Nearest Foundation vessels come within range to attempt to establish communications, demanding identification from the unidentified objects, which are now identified as vessels of some kind. There is no response.
[03:35]: Foundation vessels demand identification once again under threat of seizing the unidentified vessels. No response.
[03:40]: Thermal sensors aboard Foundation vessels detect a sudden rise in water temperatures. Relative humidity rising.
[03:46]: Thermal imaging satellites observe growing hotspots emanating from the location of the unidentified vessels.
[03:58]: Cameras aboard Foundation vessels observe visible evaporation from the water surface.
[04:14] Foundation vessels enter visual range. No crew is observed aboard any of the unidentified vessels, which lack any visible decks.
[04:17]: Steam significantly reduces visibility, one Foundation-operated helicopter crashes into the sea. Crew is presumed dead.
[04:18]: Bubbles start forming near the surface at a rapidly increasing rate.
[04:19]: Foundation crews are forced to retreat below deck to avoid the extreme temperatures.
[04:21]: O5 Command orders all Foundation vessels to open fire against the unidentified vessels immediately.
[04:24]: Water temperature reaches 100°C.
[04:43]: The unidentified vessels sink.
[04:48]: Water temperature starts to decrease.
[14:23]: Water temperature returns to baseline.
[15:00]: A cover story claiming that a natural mass-bleaching event caused by a sudden heat wave killed off the SCP-9154 instances in the Caribbean Sea is fed to the media.
[16:20]: Sonar fails to detect any sign of life below the surface.
[16:45]: Plankton sampling finds no living plankton of any clade.
[17:00]: The Caribbean Sea is classified as an ecological deadzone.
The incident resulted in a death toll of over 300 civilians and 12 Foundation personnel. ExxArc privately took responsibility for the incident, blaming the Foundation's lack of success in finding an economically feasible method of deterring SCP-9154, and that no further action will be necessary provided that SCP-9154 is not reintroduced to the wild.
Statement from the O5 Council
It is the opinion of the O5 Council that the recent actions by ExxArc constitute an act of mass-ecocide, in addition to showing a blatant disregard for the veil. In light of this and the potential for ecological restoration that SCP-9154 represents, it has been decided that the Foundation must take decisive action to ensure the restoration of Earth's marine ecosystems and past normalcy.
The O5 Council has voted to enact the following resolutions:
§ 1 The Caribbean Sea Agreement is rendered null, and all cooperation with ExxArc will cease effective immediately.| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | 0 | 2 |
| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 1 |
| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 | 2 |
Addendum 9154.3 — Artificial reef project:
To best ensure the survival of SCP-9154 as it begins to populate the Pacific Ocean, a number of locations have been chosen based on their distance from ExxArc assets, a recent history of having or being in proximity to coral reefs, and having few to no civilian inhabitants. Using Site-85 on Midway Atoll as a base of operations, artificial reef projects will be carried out in the following locations:
Hawaiian Islands:
- Ka'ula
- Lehua
French Polynesia:
- Fatu Huku
- Ahunui
- Ravahere
Kiribati:
- The Phoenix Islands9
Tonga:
- Fonualei
- Tokū
Fiji:
- Conway Reef
- Monuriki
- Ogea Driki
Experiments carried out on SCP-9154 have previously shown that concrete mixed with at least 20% plastic waste acts as a suitable substrate. The reefs will thus be constructed using reef balls made from this material. So far, SCP-9154 has only been known to generate SCP-9154-1 instances matching Caribbean and cosmopolitan species. Whether this is a constant regardless of the location of an SCP-9154 instance has remained untested until now.
Photo of reef balls from the archives.
With the resources provided, this project is estimated to take approximately 6 months.
STOAT NEWS 24/7
Fusion catastrophe devastates French city
Greg Nielsen
19th of October, 2086
On Sunday morning, the main reactor of the recently upgraded tokamak reactor outside Lyon, France exploded, leading to a death toll of over 120 000 people. While the cause is still unknown, protests against planned and existing fusion reactors have erupted all over the world.
In the hours following the event, protests erupted globally outside of planned and existing tokamak reactors in 53 countries, with protestors calling for an immediate halt to the construction and operation of these reactors.
Two hours after the tragedy, ExxArc CEO DeForest Morgan held a press conference from his New Zealand villa, condemning the recent tokamak breakthrough as dangerous and announcing that he would personally donate 500 000 000€ towards the reconstruction of the city's Northern parts.
Following the Lyon explosion, all 34 EU member states, in addition to 73 other countries, demanded the unplugging of anomalous power sources from the European power grid, threatening the expulsion of the Foundation from their territories. Despite complying with these demands, France and Italy proceeded to demand that Foundation assets be removed from their territories immediately, resulting in the reef projects in French Polynesia being abandoned. Foundation spendings on renewable energy will be increased by 50%.
Addendum 9154.4 — Reef Project Completion
After the placement of the final reef ball on 2087-01-17, mature SCP-9154 instances and planulae were introduced to each of the artificial reefs. SCP-9154 fully colonised each site within a span of 3 days. The anomaly exceeded expectations by also growing on multiple natural surfaces in addition to the concrete-plastic surfaces provided, including in locations where artificial reef projects were not carried out, as well as manifesting SCP-9154-1 instances corresponding to Pacific species, rather than the Caribbean species that had previously manifested.
On 2087-02-13, surveillance satellites observed the sudden collapse of 43 oil platforms in the Western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean over the course of a day. While ExxArc refused to share any information, it is assumed that the incident was caused by SCP-9154 partially turning the support structures to aragonite.
To preserve the veil, the disinformation campaign regarding SCP-9154 has been intensified. A cover story explaining the collapse of the oil platforms as being the result of a series of eco-terrorist bombings has been fed to the media.
Addendum 9154.5 — White Band Disease Outbreak
On 2087-06-21, Theta-17 reported what appeared to be a rapid bleaching event while patrolling a newly formed SCP-9154 reef off the coast of Java, Indonesia. The reef was additionally observed to be mostly devoid of nekton10, and the few animals observed were reported to be lethargic and dissolving. Coral samples sent to Dr. Vasileiou at Site-85 were promptly identified as being afflicted by white band disease, which had played a major role in the final waves of reef extinctions during the 2060s alongside bleaching.
Massive Parallel Sequencing11 identified a previously unknown species of Vibrio, tentatively named Vibrio corallocidium due to the past association with white band disease of the Vibrio genus. Subsequent qPCR12 revealed that this species was present in high abundance within the coral samples.
During a dive in the following days, Dr. Vasileiou and Junior Researcher Reyes discovered a torpedo lodged in the sediment next to a large formation from a pre-2060s reef. The torpedo had been modified to possess four lateral valves, which were slowly discharging an effluent slightly more opaque than seawater. qPCR testing revealed a high concentration of Vibrio corallocidium in the effluent.
Testing carried out on Vibrio corallocidium revealed multiple anomalous properties, which were noted to be similar to those of SCP-9154, namely ectoentropic replication, extremely rapid aquatic locomotion, and higher environmental resilience than what its biochemistry should allow. Vibrio corallocidium has additionally been found to be capable of forming endospores13.
On 2087-07-09, Vibrio corallocidium was confirmed to be present within tanks holding SCP-9154 at Site-85, resulting in the death of 90% of SCP-9154 samples, but was stalled by maintaining these tanks at a temperature of 70°C. The suspected presence of an ExxArc agent within Site-85 is currently being investigated.
Since the start of the outbreak, SCP-9154 has appeared at several previously unaffected marine Foundation facilities, but has not converted surfaces to aragonite at these sites. The reason for this is currently unknown. Additionally, cetacean SCP-9154-1 instances around these locations have displayed unusual behavior, such as humpback whales singing at hitherto unrecorded frequencies and dolphins jumping aboard Foundation vessels.
Afterword:
"There is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with a genetically engineered strain of Vibrio, none of the past coral-infecting strains should be naturally present in the wild anymore, not to mention the similarities to SCP-9154 and its ability to form endospores. While a high temperature has proven effective at protecting SCP-9154 instances in captivity, it's just not feasible to maintain the entire ocean at 70°C. I have reviewed our options with the Microbiology Department, and our suggestion is to start producing bacteriophages to combat Vibrio corallocidium as soon as possible. In the meantime, antibiotics such as ampicillin may prove effective at stalling the progression of the outbreak."
- Dr. Vasileiou
| Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 3 | 1 |
With the approval of the O5 Council, the construction of a facility for bacteriophage production has begun at Site-██14. Based on the current state of viral replication technology and the rate at which Vibrio corallocidium is spreading between SCP-9154 reefs, the facility is estimated to be operational within 3 months, by which point 5% of such reefs are expected to remain. All available resources have been allocated to this project to ensure its success.
Addendum 9154.6 — Bacteriophage Production Sabotage
On 2087-10-17, one week before its estimated completion, the construction of the bacteriophage replication facility at Site-██ was interrupted by an explosion, causing irreparable damage to critical structures and equipment. CCTV footage recovered from the facility showed an unidentified individual placing an explosive device near the epicenter of the explosion 15 minutes before it occurred. Punitive action against ExxArc is currently being debated by the O5 Council.
Personal Log of Dr. Timothea Vasileiou
<BEGIN LOG>
<Vasileiou faces the camera, her hair is unkempt and dried tears are visible on her cheeks.>
Vasileiou: What should never have been allowed to happen has happened again. Coral reefs are gone from the face of the Earth, perhaps this time for good if the council can't be convinced to resume building that facility. I—we did all we could, yet… we failed.
<Vasileiou's phone begins to ring. She hesitates for a second before picking up.>
Vasileiou: This is really not a good time Reyes.
Reyes: [Inaudible]
<Vasileiou raises her eyebrows.>
Vasileiou: On dry land? Right here on Midway? Are you certain?
Reyes: [Inaudible]
Vasileiou: Bring a sample to laboratory four, I'll be there as soon as I can!
<Vasileiou puts the phone down, a slight smile begins to form on her face.>
<END LOG>
Proposal to the O5 Council
On 2087-11-02, Junior Researcher Reyes discovered a cluster of SCP-9154 instances growing on an old oil barrel near Site-85. While desiccated, I believe these may be the key to restoring life to the ocean, and therefore propose the following:
1. Resume the construction of the bacteriophage replication facility at Site-██ and approve the cultivation and further testing of SCP-9154 instances on dry land until the replication facility is fully operational. This may allow us the time we need to ensure the future survival of SCP-9154 in the wild.
2. Explore options for the potential weaponization of SCP-9154 against ExxArc.
-Dr. Vasileiou
O5 Vote Tally
| Proposal Number | Support | Oppose | Abstain |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 | 5 | 2 |
| 2. | 7 | 6 | 0 |
Addendum 9154.7 — Test Logs:
Cultivating SCP-9154 on land
Foreword:
By cultivating SCP-9154 on land, we should be able to maintain a larger stockpile of SCP-9154 instances, allowing us to increase its odds of survival, as well as lower the energy costs of storing them.
| Methodology | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mature SCP-9154 instances were placed in dry tanks. | Instances lasted for 3 days before expiring. | We know that SCP-9154 is capable of some degree of adaptation, let's see if we can extend the amount of time it can survive on dry land. -Dr. Vasileiou |
| Mature SCP-9154 instances were placed in dry tanks, and were exposed to water at 70°C. The initial time between exposures was 2 days, and was increased by 1 day after each exposure. | Test is still ongoing as of writing; no upper limit has been found. One SCP-9154 instance was found growing on a reef ball in a separate room at the site on day 63. | It is assumed that a planula attached itself to a researcher's glove during handling and hitchhiked. Moderate quarantine protocols have been enacted to avoid further incidents. |
Weaponization of SCP-9154
Foreword:
Since the outbreak of Vibrio corallocidium began, SCP-9154 has curiously refrained from converting the surfaces of Foundation-operated structures to aragonite. I believe we may be able to use this to our advantage. By placing SCP-9154 planulae inside of small projectiles, we may be able to actively introduce SCP-9154 to structures of our choosing on dry land.
| Methodology | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Samples of mature SCP-9154 instances were placed inside of projectiles. These were launched at surfaces consisting of steel, carbon nanotubes, and cement. | Samples shattered on impact against all tested materials, and did not attach. | N/A |
| The same methodology as above was attempted using planulae instead. | Planulae successfully attached to all surfaces. | N/A |
[ADDITIONAL TEST HIDDEN DUE TO INSUFFICIENT CLEARANCE LEVEL]
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING FILE IS LEVEL 4/9154 CLASSIFIED
ANY ATTEMPT TO ACCESS THIS FILE WITHOUT LEVEL 4/9154 AUTHORISATION WILL BE LOGGED AND WILL LEAD TO IMMEDIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
STOAT NEWS 24/7
Morgan: "Eco-terrorists backed by fusion lobby"
Greg Nielsen
15th of March, 2088
A hot topic for the past two years has been the reintroductions and disappearances of coral reefs, and the havoc this has wreaked on the economy. More recently, an eco-terrorist collective known as 'Manufactured Extinct' has carried out a worldwide campaign of bombings against ExxArc facilities. We interviewed ExxArc CEO DeForest Morgan to get his thoughts on the situation.
Nielsen: The recent bombings by the eco-terrorist collective known as 'Manufactured Extinct' have forced hundreds of ExxArc facilities to close and cost thousands of jobs. Are you able to divulge how these terrorists have been able to carry out these attacks?
Morgan: Yes, we have come to find that these bombings have been carried out using cloaked hypersonic drones. Now you might say, "Hey, how are terrorists able to access state-of-the-art military technology like that?" Well I'll tell you, they are being funded by the fusion lobby. They try to paint us as environmentally destructive, despite it being proven time and time again that ExxArc has had net zero carbon emissions for the past ten years, not to mention the amount of death and destruction caused by fusion. Their vile propaganda is what has inspired these terrorists, and their funding is how the terrorists are able to do what they do.
Nielsen: It really is worrying to see. What are ExxArc's plans for dealing with this situation?
Morgan: I'm afraid I can't share that with you for the time being, but rest assured that ExxArc is not going down any time soon, and all the jobs that these terrorists have taken, well, they'll be back before you know it.
Nielsen: Are you planning any action against the fusion lobby for their role in all this?
Morgan: Our legal department is currently reviewing our options. That's all I'll reveal for now.
Nielsen: What do you make of the failure of the coral de-extinction project?
Morgan: I think it's time we accept the fact that their time has passed.
Special Containment Procedures:
[UNCHANGED PORTIONS COLLAPSED]
Locations where SCP-9154 instances are discovered growing on land are to be temporarily closed off under the cover of chemical spills or other applicable disasters, witnesses are to be administered Class-A amnestics. When these sites are under the control of ExxArc, which represent the majority of these cases, the nearest MTF unit will attempt to seize the site and plant evidence of a bombing attack.
Hugin.aic is currently monitoring all civilian communications, in the event that information pertaining to SCP-9154 growing on land is sent, the transmission will be automatically blocked, and the sender will be targeted for amnesticasion at the earliest opportunity.
Description:
[UNCHANGED PORTIONS COLLAPSED]
Since efforts to improve the resilience of SCP-9154 began, it has displayed multiple new anomalous properties, namely the ability to survive indefinitely in dry environments, aerial locomotion at velocities of up to 20 m/s15, and the continuous manifestation of seawater16 when growing within confined, unflooded areas. It is currently theorized that Foundation efforts to allow SCP-9154 to survive on land inadvertently led to SCP-9154 developing these abilities. No SCP-9154-1 instances have been observed to manifest in dry environments.
SCP-9154 instances growing from airborne planulae have been noted to almost exclusively attach to the surfaces of facilities directly tied to ExxArc.
Addendum 9154.8 — Disappearance of DeForest Morgan
On 2088-03-19, Foundation surveillance satellites discovered the presence of SCP-9154 instances at the New Zealand residence of ExxArc CEO DeForest Morgan. Upon arrival, MTF Delta-4 'Minutemen' found that the entirety of his mansion, as well as the surrounding walls, had been overgrown with SCP-9154-instances. Delta-4 were able to enter Morgan's residence without incident, as no guards were present and security systems were already disengaged.
Inside the mansion, Delta-4 encountered a small colony of New Zealand sea lions (Phocarctos hookeri) resting around a flooded hole, which was identified as a bunker.
Once the site had been secured, a Pikaia MKVI ROV17 designed for cave exploration was used to properly navigate the interior of the bunker.
Exploration log of bunker belonging to DeForest Morgan
Personnel Present: Dr. Vasileiou, Junior Researcher Reyes.
<BEGIN LOG>
<The ROV is lowered into the water, revealing that the interior of the bunker has become home to a kelp forest. On the floor of the room are numerous SCP-9154 instances, along with sea stars, bryozoans, crayfish, and various species of shelled gastropods. Blue mokis (Latridopsis ciliaris.) and striped trumpeters (Latris lineata) swim amidst the giant kelp.>
Vasileiou: How is this able to grow without any sunlight?
Reyes: I'm guessing it's another anomalous property we've missed, like the whole growing on land thing.
<A New Zealand sea lion swims into view, it is looking directly into the camera of the ROV before swimming at it, bumping into the ROV with its nose.>
Reyes: Aww, I think it's curious.
<The sea lion engages in playful behaviour with the ROV for around 2 minutes before turning away from the ROV and swimming in the direction of a stairwell.>
Vasileiou: Hmm, I wonder what the sea lion could want down there. I'm gonna follow it.
<The ROV begins to follow the sea lion into the stairwell, the interior of which is overgrown with kelp and bryozoans like the previous room. The sea lion shows no reaction to the ROV's approach. Shoals of small fish scatter as the ROV approaches. The sea lion and the ROV pass two floors descending the stairwell, both with kelp forests lit by unusually bioluminescent jellyfish. The sea lion leaves the stairwell at the third floor down, which appears to have been turned into a deep-sea reef.>
Vasileiou: Most unusual, you would expect to see this at much greater depths than this.
<The sea lion swims up to a rock formation at the center of the room, scaring away a morid cod (Lepidion sp.) that was hovering above it. The formation is covered in SCP-9154 instances, other types of coral, and sponges. It is vaguely shaped like a human clenching its throat, from which an SCP-9154 instance is protruding.>
<Extraneous footage omitted for brevity.>
<END LOG>
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