SCP-3738

Casting Lots

A hypotrochoid similar in shape to SCP-3738.

Special Containment Procedures

Agents embedded within the automotive industry are to modify all newly produced internal computers to render them incapable of generating SCP-3738. All reports of spatial anomalies in parking lots are to be investigated, traced, and the individual who caused SCP-3738 amnesticized.

Description

SCP-3738 is a two-dimensional hypotrochoid curve represented by a pair of parametric equations. Reproducing this pattern with a motor vehicle in a parking lot will cause an open parking space to become available within direct view of the vehicle's driver.

SCP-3738's exact mechanism depends on the status of the parking lot in which it is used. If a parking space is available anywhere within the boundaries of the parking lot, cars and other obstacles will be shifted until a space is within direct view of the driver. If no parking spaces are available, three-dimensional space within the boundaries of the parking lot will warp gradually until an additional parking space manifests.

These effects will revert once the car that invoked SCP-3738 leaves the parking lot.
Observers outside of the vehicle but inside the parking lot will fail to notice these effects. Of note, a king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), hereafter designated SCP-3738-1, will always be seen circling over the vehicle, even if SCP-3738 is used outside of the king vulture's natural habitat.

Discovery: SCP-3738 was first observed in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Aguascalientes, Mexico when a construction crew reported consistent discrepancies in their work that could not be explained by machine or user error. Local agents investigated the mall but could not replicate the anomaly, and the incident was designated as a singular Extranormal Event, EE-11605.

EE-11605 was confirmed at least six more times via the use of Minkowski Spacetime Monitors, and was eventually traced to a single vehicle belonging to a Mr. Rodolfo Marquez. The individual and his car were successfully acquired by Foundation personnel and contained.

SCP-3738 Testing Log

ACCESS GRANTED

Note: Unless otherwise stated, all tests were conducted in a specially constructed 200-space parking lot populated with cars of various makes and models.

Test Number: 3738-01
Procedure: 199/200 spaces filled. Researcher Eastman enters the car and starts it.
Result: No effect.

Test Number: 3738-02
Procedure: 199/200 spaces filled. Researcher Eastman enters the car, starts it, and parks it successfully.
Result: No effect.

Test Number: 3738-03
Procedure: 199/200 spaces filled. Mr. Marquez was asked to park his car as he normally would. He drives through one full row, then before turning, reproduces SCP-3738.
Result: After approximately 9 seconds, the car on the end of the eighth row moves to the unseen empty space, and the remaining cars shift position until the empty space is directly in front of Marquez's car. As he parks, a king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa, later designated SCP-3738-1) can be seen circling approximately 20 meters above the car. Marquez is then instructed to leave the parking lot. As he does so, the cars gradually return to their original places.

Test Number: 3738-04
Procedure: 200/200 spaces filled. Mr. Marquez was again asked to park his car normally. He drives through the lot, then reproduces SCP-3738.
Result: Space within the lot begins to visibly stretch, as the last row of 20 spaces expands until a 21st space appears in the center. Mr. Marquez notices the new space and parks in it. As in the previous test, SCP-3738-1 is visible above the lot. The lot is measured while Marquez remains parked, and is found to have extended in length by 2.3 meters. Marquez is again instructed to leave the parking lot, and the spatial distortion reverts after he does so.

Test Number: 3738-05
Procedure: 200/200 spaces filled. Self-driving car programmed to reproduce SCP-3738.
Result: No result.

Test Number: 3738-06
Procedure: 199/200 spaces filled. Researcher Eastman uses his personal vehicle to reproduce SCP-3738.
Result: Cars move similarly to the results of Test 03. SCP-3738-1 manifests, lands on the hood of the car, and pecks the window rapidly. Researcher Eastman opens the window and SCP-3738-1 begins vocalizing in what appears to be Spanish. As Researcher Eastman does not speak Spanish, it is unknown what SCP-3738-1 said. SCP-3738-1 leaves after two minutes and demanifests, leaving behind a small toy car. Upon inspection, this car is the exact make and model of Researcher Eastman's car, and is decorated with vultures and partial SCP-3738 instances.

Note: When Mr. Marquez was asked about the toy car, he mentioned that he had one similar to it, given to him by his father. When asked about the origin of SCP-3738, Mr. Marquez answered that it was a quirk of his late father, and that he began to use it in his father's memory.

At this point, SCP-3738 was formally classified. Mr. Marquez was amnesticized, and returned along with his car.

Test Number: 3738-07
Procedure: 200/200 spaces filled. Researcher Cisneros, who is fluent in Spanish, uses her personal vehicle to reproduce SCP-3738. The car is equipped with several microphones.
Result: Space distorts as in previous tests. SCP-3738-1 manifests, and lands on the top of the car. Its movements are noticeably more sluggish. Researcher Cisneros opens the window. SCP-3738-1 hisses, and murmurs quietly. Researcher Cisneros attempts to communicate with SCP-3738-1, but it throws a similar toy car at her then flies off and subsequently demanifests. Microphones only picked up a few fragmented phrases: "hijo" ("son"), "aprendió" ("[he] learned"), and "olvidado" ("forgotten").

Following Test 3738-07, SCP-3738-1 no longer lands on vehicles using SCP-3738. Attempts at trapping or communicating with SCP-3738-1 are ignored by it, and cause all effects of SCP-3738 to revert.