The first example of SCP-2568 retrieved.
Special Containment Procedures
Each instance of SCP-2568 is to be contained in a cubical enclosure constructed of 9 smaller cubes. Each smaller box will be 10 centimeters on each side, with an error of at most 0.1 centimeters. It must be kept in a room with walls at least 10 cm thick. Paths from the object to the walls, floor, and ceiling should be kept clear of objects that might be harmed by a steel ball appearing inside them.
Following incident SCP-2568-C, if multiple instances are contained within the same room, they are to be spaced apart at distances which are not multiples of 5 centimeters.
A magnet of sufficient strength to counteract the force of gravity exactly at the center of the central box is to be placed at the top of the containment apparatus, along with variable strength electromagnets placed on all four sides, connected to the in-box sensors, in order to cancel out any virtual velocity the item might pick up.
Each box is to be equipped with three laser or ultrasonic rangefinders, one on each axis, pointed at the center of the box. Note: See Addendum 2568-A regarding the use of ultrasonic rangefinders. The distance measurements from these sensors are to be continuously monitored by an automatic program and used to adjust the strength of the magnets in the case of the item moving. The calibration of the magnets and sensors is to be checked during regular monthly maintenance. Continuous human monitoring is considered wasteful and unnecessary at this time.
In the event that the item acquires a significant velocity and the electromagnetic containment apparatus does not contain it, it will almost certainly lodge itself in the chamber walls or some other solid object, from which it can easily be retrieved; for this reason, it has been classified as Safe.
SCP-2568-1 is non-anomalous anomalous but classified as Safe. It is extremely old; as such, it should be kept in a glass or ceramic case with a neutral pressure argon atmosphere to prevent any degradation, as per normal Foundation Archives protocol. It should not be removed except for experimentation. Full transcriptions of its surface markings are to be stored in redundant electronic and physical forms so as to prevent any possible loss of information.
Description
SCP-2568 is a collection of twenty-nine (29) twenty-seven (27) steel balls exactly 3 centimeters in diameter. Instances of SCP-2568 appear to have no anomalous properties except that they move only in increments of 5 centimeters along their axes and rotate only in increments of 45 degrees around their axes.
When a force is applied to an SCP-2568 object, it acquires a "virtual" velocity; that is, if a force were applied which would accelerate it to 1 cm/s, it would rest in place for 5 seconds, then teleport 5 centimeters in the direction in which the force was applied.
Note by Dr. M█████: This is, of course, relative to the planet Earth. If not, each of these things would be constantly hopping about and flashing as the planet turns and moves through space. I'd love to get one of these out into the Moon's gravity well and see what happens!
Note by O5-█: Request denied. That's a little more expense than we can stomach for a Safe at this time.
As mentioned above, these items cannot move except along three perpendicular axes. The vertical axis is oriented upwards (that is, toward and away from Earth's gravitational center), but the two horizontal axes are not aligned to gravity, magnetic fields, or any other obvious means of directional determination. The axes are fixed and cannot be changed by any means so far devised.
Note by Dr. D███████: There are two major schools of thought on these axes at this time. I am of the opinion that their orientation was probably set during production, but Dr. M█████ thinks they are fundamental to the universe in some way. I don't think there is any way to know without additional items that act in a similar manner, but I wouldn't try telling him that. It's become almost like a religion with him. Typical theoretician crap.
When one of the objects does move, it emits a flash of electromagnetic radiation in all spectra at the destination, the brightness of which scales linearly with the object's virtual velocity. Dr. M█████ is currently working on the initial stages of a test to determine if useful energy can be extracted from this process; for now, he has advised all personnel handling the items to be careful not to accelerate them to too great a velocity, as they could theoretically produce harmful radiation.
Addendum 2568-A: Initial recovery.
The first example of SCP-2568 was recovered from its resting place in the tomb of ███████ in █████. During initial containment at Provisional Site ██, the object's position was measured with consumer-grade ultrasonic rangefinders due to availability. The sound waves emitted during their operation imparted a virtual velocity to the object which eventually caused it to "hop" out of the containment tent, through several meters of air, and into the cereal bowl of a member of MTF ████ during breakfast, causing surprise and distress but no injuries. Henceforth, only laser rangefinders are to be used in containment to prevent this kind of incident in the future.
Addendum 2568-B: Recovery of later samples.
Further excavation of the tomb of ███████ has revealed twenty-eight (28) additional items with the same properties, hereby classified as additional instances of SCP-2568. They were found in various positions on SCP-2568-1, a square piece of very hard, ornately carved and painted oak wood, about 4 cm thick, with 1.5 cm hemispherical divots spaced 5cm apart in an 8x8 grid.
Once it was determined to be non-anomalous, Foundation researchers posing as a private collector released SCP-2568-1 to civilian anthropologists at the British Royal ███████ and the ███████████ Institute, who determined that it was almost certainly a game board and that it was at least 1███ years old.
Note by Dr. D███████: This explains why it was in the tomb, and why it existed in the first place, but raises some other questions; did the ancient ████████ have such advanced technology that such things as SCP-2568 could be used frivolously? If not, how did they come to posses so many of these things? Perhaps they were used to measure out the precise distances required for the construction of the ████ of ████████? I recommend further investigation of the tomb.
Addendum 2568-C: Incident log.
Incident 2568-C
Situation:
Two instances of SCP-2568 in their containment boxes were placed in the same secure locker area, one above the other. As the standard lockers at Facility ██ are █5 centimeters tall, when the power supply on the upper object's containment apparatus failed, it gained a virtual velocity due to the force of gravity and fell through the top of the second container's box. The sensors in that container detecting both objects triggered a bug in the the control program which caused it to emit the maximum values for the associated electromagnets, applying a very high force to the lower SCP-2568 instance. When the upper one proceeded, a few microseconds later, to move downward into the same space as the lower one, the magnetic forces prevented either one from appropriately vacating the space as normal.
Results:
The sudden duplication of mass and collision of particles within the strong magnetic field caused ██████ to ████ with the ████ of the upper instance, creating ████ and a massive explosion which destroyed the entire locker area. This caused a minor containment breach in which SCP-████ killed 8 security personnel before being contained. █ Safe SCPs and ██ anomalous items awaiting classification were lost.
Notes:
Dr. D███████ and Dr. M████ agree that such incidents can be entirely avoided by simply spacing out these objects at distances which are not multiples of 5 centimeters. In addition, the control program has been corrected for all remaining containers.
Note by Dr. D███████: This raises some interesting questions. Clearly these things are dangerous, but perhaps only when they are so tightly contained? On a game board like SCP-2568-1 they would collide all the time, and we have to assume that they were safe enough to be played with.
Addendum 2568-D: Experiment log.
Experiment 2568-D
Situation:
Four instances of SCP-2568 were placed on SCP-2568-1. D-2568-22 was informed that he would be "well rewarded" if he were to successfully cause them to collide. After a few minutes of getting used to their anomalous properties, he managed to maneuver them into place on the board.
Results:
When any two instances were made to collide, the one not moving was bumped out of its place in the direction of the moving one, but only by one space. When at the edge, both simply stopped. How this happens is unknown; in theory, the non-moving instance should be bumped off the board and continue into free space.
When all four instances were made to collide, each emitted a very bright flash of light and all four acquired an extreme virtual velocity. Two ricochetted around the board until succumbing to friction and settling down. One flew off the board at an angle and embedded itself in the 10 cm glass of the observation room, and the fourth disappeared. D-2568-22 fell unconscious and was declared dead when medics entered the chamber; upon attempting to move his body, it was discovered that the final instance of SCP-2568 had passed through his skull and ██████ ██ ████, killing him instantly.
Notes by Dr. D██████:
Clearly, SCP-2568-1 is capable of controlling the virtual velocity of these objects in a way that we don't understand. I suggest an immediate reclassification of that item as anomalous, under a Safe categorization, and a good deal of further testing.
