SCP-1704

Description

SCP-1704 is an approximately 9m x 5.5m x 3.5m structure composed of animate, fully conscious human skeletons (hereby SCP-1704-1). The structure disappears and remanifests¹ at irregular intervals; each time, the identity, arrangement, and exact number of SCP-1704-1 change.

Approximately 240 (± 30) fully intact skeletons compose the bulk of SCP-1704, the remainder being bones and bone fragments, along with a cementing material composed primarily of bone dust that holds the structure's shape. Instances of SCP-1704-1 have limited mobility and, provided that their jawbones are intact, vocal communication,² despite the lack of any muscles or organs that would be necessary for these activities. Separation of any section of SCP-1704 from the main mass has resulted in the cessation of all anomalous activity from the removed material, including demanifestation.

All instances of SCP-1704-1 are capable of communication in at least one language, and those interviewed have been able to provide identities and personal information consistent with a person who has died within the past sixty years. Further commonalities between all interviewed members of SCP-1704-1 have been identified:

• The subject was sixty-eight years of age or older at time of death.
• The subject was a practicing member of an organized religion for at least thirty years and at the subject's time of death.
• The subject had no history of drug abuse, sexual activity, or violence outside of what they believed to be the prescribed limits of their chosen religion.
• The subject and their immediate family had no outstanding debts or obligations that were expected to cause significant financial distress at the time of the subject's death.
• The subject died of natural causes that were not attributable to environmental factors.
• At time of death, the subject felt contented with their life, had close relationships with all members of its extended family, and considered themselves ready to die.

Instances of SCP-1704-1 claim to recall events after their death and prior to incorporation into SCP-1704. While the exact imagery and sequence of events varies between subjects, all accounts involve the subject approaching a state which approximated their belief in the afterlife before being denied access by a hostile entity.³ This is frequently depicted as an act of envy or revenge. Subjects have identical recollections of being turned into a skeletal state and being deposited in and connected to SCP-1704 while inside an apparently featureless area. Those that have been interviewed on multiple occasions report returning to this area during times which SCP-1704 has demanifested, where other portions of SCP-1704 will be replaced or reorganized.

Typically, instances of SCP-1704-1 express feelings of hopelessness, confusion, and doubt, and are often reluctant to communicate with Foundation personnel or other SCP-1704-1. Subjects will often obsess over the details of their life, frequently questioning whether some unidentified "unfinished business" was responsible for their incorporation into SCP-1704.

Members of SCP-1704-1 uniformly report intense physical pain and discomfort resulting from a combination of high sensitivity to atmospheric conditions (particularly humidity and temperature), highly limited mobility, and the weight of the rest of SCP-1704. Due to this and the aforementioned psychological stress experienced by SCP-1704-1, distressed vocalizations are considered normal behavior.

Personnel with Clearance 4-1704 or higher (including those working on Project Orpheus-30) should consult Drs. Sanmugasunderam and O'Cruadhlaoich for theories regarding the exact nature and origin of SCP-1704.

4 The Foundation was alerted to an XN-class Interdimensional Breach scenario in progress and provided relevant expertise (see Document 792-1704 for details), along with thirty-six Class D personnel. It was determined that extraction of a number of items (including SCP-1704) from the breach was necessary for full containment.

Addendum" id="addendum-strong-scp-1704-was-recovered-from-a-global-occult-coalition-facility-in-karlsruhe-germany-in-december-2012-along-with-three-other-items-later-given-special-containment-procedures-and-fourteen-classified-as-anomaloussup-classfootnoterefa-idfootnoteref-4-hrefjavascript-classfootnoteref-onclickwikidotpageutilsscrolltoreferencefootnote-44-a-sup-the-foundation-was-alerted-to-an-xn-class-interdimensional-breach-scenario-in-progress-and-provided-relevant-expertise-see-document-792-1704-for-details-along-with-thirty-six-class-d-personnel-it-was-determined-that-extraction-of-a-number-of-items-including-scp-1704-from-the-breach-was-necessary-for-full-containment-p-pstrongaddendum">Addendum: SCP-1704 was recovered from a Global Occult Coalition facility in Karlsruhe, Germany, in December 2012, along with three other items later given Special Containment Procedures and fourteen classified as Anomalous.⁴ The Foundation was alerted to an XN-class Interdimensional Breach scenario in progress and provided relevant expertise (see Document 792-1704 for details), along with thirty-six Class D personnel. It was determined that extraction of a number of items (including SCP-1704) from the breach was necessary for full containment.