The little boy sat at his bedroom window gazing up at the night sky, as he did every night.
The moon shone bright and stars twinkled. He was fascinated by everything to do with
the solar system. As he stared up at the sky and noticed something unusual, one of the
stars was distinctly brighter than the others and looked to be moving, he picked up his
telescope and looked into it.
What he saw made him drop the telescope in surprise, he had seen a shooting star before,
but he had never seen anything moving as fast as this star. He picked up the telescope again,
the star had travelled such a vast distance in the few seconds he had taken his eyes away
that he thought it must’ve burnt out, but as he moved the telescope again he realised
it had almost reached Jupiter. How was it possible that a shooting star could travel
so far in such a short space of time he wondered. He made notes in his journal about what he
had witnessed.
The following morning he told his science teacher at school what he had seen. His teacher
was surprised and told him that he was going to make a report to the authorities. When
he got home from school that afternoon a man in a suit was sitting in the kitchen talking
with his mother. She told him that the man had come to talk to him because his science
teacher had made a report. The man told him that there was a simple explanation, that
it had been a weather phenomenon that had caused it to appear as if the shooting star
was travelling so fast, in reality it was just an ordinary shooting star, very common.
He told the boy not to tell anyone else about his sighting.
Welcome back to SCP exposed, today we bring you the keter class subject SCP-2399. But
before I go on, please make sure you subscribe to the channel so you don't miss out on any
more awesome SCP stories!
SCP-2399 is a hostile, anomalous, alien superstructure capable of causing an SK-class, “Barren
Earth” end of the world event and as such is classified as Level 5 Top Secret.
It is a massive, complex mechanical structure currently located in Jupiter's lower atmosphere.
Since its visual discovery in 1963, it has been observed to use highly advanced, antimatter-based
weaponry to create spatial disruptions and devastating atmospheric reactions observable
as a large red vortex, commonly known as the Great Red Spot.
SCP-2399 appears to be damaged, possibly due to an impact with the moon Io before coming
to rest in its current position. It has been observed releasing a multitude of small, octopoid
repair drones in efforts to repair the damage it has taken. Some of these drones will remain
near the superstructure, while others will patrol nearby moons, or deeper into the gasses
of Jupiter itself, in search of parts that it is missing. Computer models estimate that
it is at 59% completion, with a current rate of 0.78% annually. This rate has increased
from an estimated 0.12% in 1970.
Despite its damaged state, it seems to possess a limitless power supply, advanced electromagnetic
shielding, matter-disrupting weaponry, the ability to repair damage done to itself, and
a precise tracking and targeting system. Due to the large difference in technological advancement
between the creator of SCP-2399 and our own, for all intents and purposes, it is currently
indestructible by human means. In theory it might be left vulnerable by a powerful enough
electromagnetic pulse. Unfortunately, this technology does not yet exist.
SCP-2399 was originally observed, albeit unknowingly, by Giovanni Cassini in 1665. The following
is taken directly from Cassini's journal on the event, translated from Italian to English;
October 8th, 1665:
I have observed something extraordinary in the heavens. Last night, as I gazed through
my looking glass, I saw what appeared to be a star of great luminescence streak through
the far reaches of our solar system. I have never recorded an object moving so fast; it
had surpassed the outer planets in fewer than two hours! As I watched, by my own two eyes,
I saw it slow as it closed on Jupiter, make a sharp turn, and disappear into the planet
itself. I saw many bursts of light afterwards, but although I continued to peer at it until
the Sun broke, I saw no additional disturbances in the night sky. I must continue to document
these changes, and will alert my colleagues when the day is upon me.
October 15th, 1665:
I took Peter to my observation point last night, but a week from the night I saw the
fire rain upon Jupiter in the heavens. He brought along his own looking glass, and together
we aimed our view upon the giant. To our surprise, a magnificent change has occurred! Where once
the distant world only showed bands of color, there is now a great red spot where the star
came to rest on the surface of Jupiter. Peter was incredulous, of course, that such an amazing
discovery could have taken place before our very eyes. I will continue to take note of
this.
October 18th, 1665:
Tonight as I peered through my looking glass, I swear on my life that I observed what looked
to me like explosions and starbursts emanating from our red spot. I fear my mind is playing
tricks on me, for there has been no record of such violent outbursts by a heavenly body
since the dawn of astronomy. I will consult with Peter on the morrow, and hopefully glean
from him some advice on the matter.
October 19th, 1665:
Peter sees the same as I! As I approached him with my concerns, he leveled the same
with me, and through our following discussion we concluded that it must be a powerful reaction
to the falling star I saw upon the first night, and not a product of our own shortcomings.
I am left wondering what cataclysmic event must be taking place upon our heavenly neighbour.
Our work to document this must go on.
Foundation satellites in orbit around Jupiter are to maintain constant vigilance of its
reconstruction efforts, and make all attempts to hinder that process should it reach a minimum
of 75% completion. Additionally, a perimeter of long-range electromagnetic jamming satellites
known as BARRIER array has been situated in high-Jupiter orbit. Any transmissions intercepted
by this array are to be summarily decoded and logged.
In the event of it surpassing 75% completion or an information breach in the jamming perimeter,
necessary Foundation personnel will engage Protocol LEGIONNAIRE-5, given its completion
by that time.
LEGIONNAIRE-5 was devised by Randall McAllan, director of the BARRIER project, the following
is a memo written by Mr McAllan about LEGIONNAIRE-5;
So, SCP-2399.
Have you ever sat and wondered, maybe after you hear about a car accident on a street
you were just on, or a bombing in a city you were visiting, just how lucky you are to be
alive? Just how many things have to go right for you to continue to exist? A few seconds
too late, a few seconds too early, and somebody reaches for something they dropped and a busload
of people run into another busload of people. Sometimes this kind of thing does happen,
as we've seen, far too often. But that's what we're here for. To protect those who can't
protect themselves from things that they wouldn't even know to protect themselves from.
We can't do it all, though. As many things as we've been able to contain, as many things
as we've been able to keep under lock that would threaten to destroy us all, still far
too many remain that we can't do anything about. Whether they're too big, or too fast,
or too powerful, any of these things could blink and wipe humanity from existence. The
fact that they haven't done so yet is just luck. SCP-2399, however, is different.
We have little information regarding its motives, origins, and full capabilities. We do not
understand how it is capable of communicating over such large distances, or why those who
constructed it, if it was, in fact, constructed!, sent it to us in the first place. We do not
know what would happen if it is able to fully repair itself, or if part of our array would
break down and a message would get through. We do not know this, so we must assume the
worst. Judging by what we've seen, were SCP-2399 to have reached Earth, it would have led to
our timely destruction.
But sometimes humanity gets a little help. Sometimes something steps in the way of the
apocalypse. For us, and for SCP-2399, it was Jupiter. As it began to slow on its approach
to Earth, Cassini saw what we've been able to ascertain; that it struck the moon Io,
was damaged, and was unable to escape the gravitational pull of Jupiter. Its weapons
activated as they were intended, but it was Jupiter that experienced doomsday, not us.
Eventually, though, it's likely that it will resume full functionality, and will likely
be able to pull away from Jupiter and proceed to its target. As of now, we can keep hurling
bombs and EMPs at it all we want, but we've got no indication that any of it will so much
as scratch the thing. On the contrary, experience dictates it would do nothing at all. If this
were to happen now, we would undoubtedly be destroyed.
Jupiter has given us time. For now, SCP-2399 will remain there, reassembling itself, while
we devise some way to stop it. Like it or not, we are in an arms race with this thing.
Our best guesses give us something like 25 years until it is able to hear past our dampening
array. Until then, we must seize the opportunity that has been laid before us. We must use
the time we have been given, and not let it be wasted.
So we devised Protocol LEGIONNAIRE. One gigantic EMP, powered by god-knows-what, followed by
a volley of nukes big enough to wipe out our civilization a thousand times over. A blunt
plan, and simple, and likely futile. Our researchers, and researchers around the globe, have yet
to devise even a way to deliver that kind of pulse, let alone a way to power it. There
is no indication whatsoever that we will be able to complete LEGIONNAIRE on time, or if
it will do what is intended once it is completed. But we must try. We must do something. Even
if we have to drain our banks and empty our mines, we must try.
Not often do we get a chance to see the swerving bus that will end our lives, and step out
of the way. Jupiter, unknowingly, has offered us that chance and I suggest that we take
it.
BARRIER Unit 53 once observed one of SCP-2399's repair drones closing in on a piece of debris,
quickly determined to be part of a damaged communications array. Because of the nature
of this specific component, and the ramifications of allowing it to recover it, it was ordered
that BARRIER Unit 45 fire upon the drone with its on-board concussion batteries.
Batteries were discharged; however, the drone appeared undamaged. Footage obtained by BARRIER
Unit 53 shows that while the payload in question was launched towards the repair drone, it
was destroyed within 5 km of the target by additional charges originating from SCP-2399.
Command lost contact with Unit 45 15 seconds after its initial discharge, with video observation
showing SCP-2399 causing the spatial anomaly which resulted in the termination of BARRIER
Unit 45 by Units 44, 51, and 55.
Under no circumstances are any BARRIER Units to further engage either SCP-2399 or drones
released by the alien superstructure.
Since 1971, it has been the recipient of an unending stream of electromagnetic-based communications
originating in the Triangulum Galaxy, roughly 3 million light years from Earth. The means
of its travel to our solar system, and the means of its communications, are all unknown.
From 1971 to 1985, it continuously received a single encoded message which, through code-breaking
and translation efforts, appeared to be a command to repair the damage it incurred upon
entering our solar system. After this time, the BARRIER array was established to intercept
these messages. This coincided with a period of radio silence from the origin of the communications,
until 1996, when a different order began transmitting. The BARRIER array has thus far prevented SCP-2399
from receiving this command.
Due to its location and nature, physical means of containment are currently impossible. Implanted
Foundation agents in major observatories are to contain footage or images of SCP-2399.
An ongoing misinformation campaign is in effect, which has thus far been able to completely
suppress any knowledge pertaining to it from public awareness.
What do you think of that SCP case? Please leave your comments down below.