SCP-1466
A Canary
Special Containment Procedures
Any civilian research projects attempting to verify Goldbach's conjecture must be monitored for the possibility of identifying SCP-1466. If the possibility exists, any programs used to do so must be reconfigured such that SCP-1466 is stated to be the sum of two primes without verification; if this is not possible to perform discreetly, the project must be shut down.
In the event that technology capable of disproving Goldbach's conjecture becomes commonplace, all information pertaining to Goldbach's conjecture outside of Foundation custody must be destroyed. Worldwide amnestic distribution and use of viral antimemetics for this purpose is permitted.
Testing of SCP-1466 may only take place at times and locations where SCP-1466-A will exit the atmosphere harmlessly. Testing of SCP-1466 is currently only approved for the purpose of identifying SCP-1466's causal mechanism or determining a method of neutralization.
SCP-1466-C is kept in a standard storage locker at Site-63.
Description
SCP-1466 is an even 21-digit integer. It cannot be expressed as the sum of two prime numbers, thus disproving Goldbach's Conjecture.1 Whether other counterexamples to Goldbach's Conjecture exist, and whether they share SCP-1466's anomalous properties, is unknown.
SCP-1466's anomalous properties only manifest when it is shown to disprove Goldbach's Conjecture. One instance of SCP-1466-A will manifest 31 34 seconds after the completion of calculations at the location of each device involved in the process. SCP-1466-A are invisible spheres 2.8m in diameter that immediately obliterate all matter they intersect. SCP-1466-A are motionless relative to the Sun, and will move at a speed (typically on the order of 1,000 kph) and direction relative to Earth dependent on the time and location of manifestation.
SCP-1466-A destroy matter on the atomic level, resulting in the partial elimination of chemical compounds and, subsequently, the creation of a variety of violently reactive chemicals. The voids left by annihilated liquids and gases will typically implode, with the subsequent shock wave dispersing the generated chemicals into the surrounding area. While SCP-1466-A have not been tracked outside of Earth's atmosphere, they are presumed to demanifest or exit Earth's orbit within one year, as no instance has been encountered more than once.
The danger posed by SCP-1466-A and its byproducts are largely dependent on the circumstances immediately surrounding manifestation. A worst-case scenario would result from the verification of SCP-1466 by a distributed computing project run largely on personal computers; with resources available to the Foundation, a breach of secrecy could potentially (p > 0.01) result if more than [REDACTED] devices are used. Casualties would most likely equal or exceed the number of devices used.
SCP-1466-B refers to the spontaneous appearance of plaintext files exclusively containing SCP-1466 on devices attempting to verify the Goldbach conjecture, typically appearing in the root directory. There is no evidence to indicate that this is performed through conventional methods of file creation or placement. SCP-1466-B occurs 3-4 times per year, affecting progressively more powerful computers or distributed computing projects. If the file is accessed, but no attempt to verify SCP-1466 is made on the affected device within 83 days, it is spontaneously deleted.
Experiment 1466-061
Date: 02/25/2017
Purpose: Identify any potential consequences of delayed SCP-1466-A manifestation.
Materials: One computer verifying SCP-1466's violation of Goldbach's Conjecture; one subject (D-6612) in Stage 3 of SCP-2441 exposure; one SCP-1466-safe testing chamber.
Procedure: D-6612 was seated in front of the computer several minutes before it completed SCP-1466 verification, and was informed of SCP-1466's effects. The experiment was viewed remotely.
| Timestamp | Events |
|---|---|
| t=0s | SCP-1466 verification completed. |
| t=31s | SCP-1466-A fails to manifest at expected time. No other anomalies detected. |
| t=43s | D-6612 reports unidentified "resistance" to its reality-bending capacity. |
| t=51s | A mirrored cube, 4.4m on each side, manifests with the computer at the center. The cube exhibits perfect specular reflectivity, imperviousness to all attempted destruction testing, no sound penetration, no detectable temperature, and no friction. It is hypothesized to be composed of non-baryonic material. The cube remains stationary relative to Earth's surface. |
| t=110s | Approximate time of death of D-6612 according to on-site medical personnel. |
| t=284s | The cube demanifests. D-6612 is in a seated position, dead. The computer's internal clock is set to 8:00:00 AM (t=-28890s), and it is performing calculations that it was most likely performing at that time. |
| t=411s | The computer is switched off. Experiment terminated. |
Assessment: After Experiment 1466-061, test subjects exposed to SCP-2441 have demonstrated no ability to delay or prevent manifestation of SCP-1466-A. SCP-1466-A now manifest 34 seconds after SCP-1466 verification, rather than 31.
D-6612's corpse possesses apparently infinite electrical and thermal resistance. The former was responsible for cessation of brain and muscle function. The item does not possess any abnormalities that account for these properties.
The computer used in Experiment 1466-061 is incapable of verifying SCP-1466. When it performs the penultimate calculation necessary to do so, it will temporally regress to 8:00:00 AM on 02/25/2017. It has been designated SCP-1466-C.