SCP-1958
Magic Bus
Recovered photo of SCP-1958 prior to its launch
Special Containment Procedures
As of ██/██/20██, SCP-1958 has been placed in a stable orbit of the Sun at a distance of 1.██ AU, and is not currently visible from Earth by the naked eye. The Foundation is to monitor professional and amateur astronomical publications for any indication that SCP-1958 has been sighted and is to suppress any publication of information regarding its composition or trajectory.
On ██/██/20██, a three-man survey team deployed from Foundation Lunar Facility 2-A was successful in reaching and entering SCP-1958, inventorying its contents, installing equipment to facilitate further monitoring, and retrieving components and artifacts deemed noteworthy. All artifacts recovered from SCP-1958 are to be archived at Reliquary 32 for further examination. SCP-1958 is to be returned to Earth if and when a suitable method for its acquisition and transit is devised.
Description
SCP-1958 is a 195█ Volkswagen Type 2 Samba-Bus (often referred to as a "microbus") currently located approximately 1.█ AU (███ million km) from the Earth's sun, in a region of interplanetary space near the orbit of Mars. At all times since the Foundation began monitoring in 20██, SCP-1958 has been moving away from the Sun at a constant velocity of approximately 130 km/h. Aside from a severed coolant line on the undercarriage and a small dent on the rear fender, SCP-1958 does not appear to have received any significant damage. The phrases "STARMOBILE" and "ALPHA CENTAURI OR BUST" have been spray-painted in English on the side panels of SCP-1958; analysis indicates that SCP-1958's trajectory prior to Foundation contact would have placed it in the vicinity of the star Alpha Centauri A in approximately 37.2 million years.
SCP-1958 has undergone heavy after-market mechanical modification. The interior cabin and engine compartment have been made airtight, with a small section near the rear doors being converted into an airlock. The original glass windows have been replaced with a shatterproof acrylic and the exterior surfaces have been treated with an unknown chemical additive rendering them nearly impervious to penetration by space debris. The gas tank has been replaced with a fuel cell that appears to be based on advanced theories of [REDACTED] not developed until several decades after the date at which SCP-1958 is presumed to have left Earth. No modifications have been made to the driver's controls or to the dashboard display. During exploration, the survey team noted that the steering wheel, gas and brake pedals, and gearshift function to alter SCP-1958's speed and direction in a manner commensurate to a vehicle being driven on the Earth's surface.
The following artifacts were discovered within SCP-1958's cabin upon exploration;
- The skeletal remains of an adult human male, approximately 21 years of age. Identified as William ███████, who was reported missing in the summer of 195█ while attending classes at the University of California, San Francisco.
- Skeletal remains of one adult female domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus). Forensic analysis indicates the cat was pregnant at time of death.
- Four bedrolls and pillows.
- A supply of clothing in styles typical of late 1950s American youth culture, for several adults of mixed gender.
- A partially-exhausted supply of dehydrated food; remaining stores sufficient to feed four adults for approximately three months.
- A chemical toilet and water filtration equipment intended to recycle drinking water from urine, feces, and sweat.
- An atmospheric scrubbing system sufficient for removing exhaled carbon dioxide from the cabin and introducing oxygen produced as a waste product of the engine.
- A seed bank containing seeds from several thousand domestic plants and freeze-dried fertilized ova of several dozen livestock and domesticated animals.
- A water pipe containing cannabis residue.
- One syringe and an empty vial. Chemical analysis indicated the vial and syringe had been used in the storage and injection of heroin.
- Blueprints and technical diagrams relating to the modifications made to SCP-1958's engine.
- One acoustic guitar.
- One pair of bongo drums.
- A set of printed and handwritten star charts.
- The following books:
- Howl and Other Poems, Allen Ginsberg.
- On the Road, Jack Kerouac.
- Collected Poems, 1934-1952, Dylan Thomas.
- Untitled songbooks containing lyrics and guitar tabulature for the songs of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, and Hank Williams, in addition to several original compositions.
- The Voyage of the Space Beagle, A.E. van Vogt.
- Jack Proton - Space Cop, M. K. Snyder.
- Worlds in Collision, Immanuel Velikovsky.
- Dianetics, L. Ron Hubbard.
- Space Brothers: A Guide To Our Galactic Next-Door Neighbors, Rev. Abraxas "Honey-Chile" Jackson.
- A handwritten diary identified as belonging to William ███████.
The means by which SCP-1958 initially left the Earth's surface is unknown. An examination of police reports and newspaper archives indicates that several bright lights and "sonic booms" were reported by residents of San Francisco on the evening of July 4th, 195█ during Independence Day fireworks displays that could not be accounted for by pyrotechnics. ███████'s former residence was demolished to make way for new construction in 1975; surviving friends and relatives have described ███████ as a "beatnik" who was active in counterculture circles and left-wing political causes, and who dabbled briefly with several new religious movements, including Transcendental Meditation, the teachings of Indian mystic Meher Baba, and the First Fifth Church of San Francisco.