The Picture of an Unian - SCP Foundation

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Introduction

The Picture of an Unian is a visual depiction of one unknown specimen of the Unians, a species which were native to the currently-uninhabited planet of Un. It is found in one of the sites belonging to the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture, known for its immerse wealth in material culture during the pre-Un age. Analysis of constituent carbon atoms with the atomic mass fourteen indicates that it is dated to the twenty-first century of the pre-Un calendar, pursuant to synchronised calibration with the great atomic clocks of Un. The discovery of The Picture of an Unian has posed many new questions within the field of Unian Studies.

Identity of the Unian depicted

Similar to other extant Unian visual depictions such as The Four Unians, the identity of the Unian specimen depicted in The Picture of an Unian is not known. That being said, there are theories that posit various indicators of the depicted Unian’s social attributes. They are: the ‘lord theory’ and ‘outsider theories’.

The ‘lord theory’ posits that the Unian depicted in The Picture of an Unian is an important member of the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture, specifically the lord of the site it was found at. Proponents of this theory often cite the picture’s presence inside inside the inner sanctum of a “three-arrows-in-circle” cultural site as evidence, claiming that only artefacts important to the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture would be placed there. If accurate, this would be the first known depiction of a member of the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture identified.

The ‘outsider theories’ are united in their counter-argument to the aforementioned ‘lord theory’, and posit that the Unian depicted in The Picture of an Unian is instead a member of an unknown separate cultural group that has interacted with the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture. Proponents of this theory are quick to highlight the lack of the “three-arrows-in-circle” rune in the Unian specimen’s attire. Instead, an undecipherable rune is identified on its attire – presumably denoting the depicted Unian’s cultural group.

That being said, as the term ‘outsider theories’ suggest, there are multiple factions that advocate a distinct persona for the depicted Unian. Some examples of the pluralism of the ‘outsider theories’ include a captive from a hostile culture, a candidate for marriage into the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture, or even a deity revered by the “three-arrows-in-circle” culture.

Sounds of the Unian

The most distinctive feature of The Picture of an Unian is its capacity to generate sound waves in response to visual stimuli transmitted into the picture. The means the visual depiction does so is not known to conventional methods, rendering it an incredible trait to Un Culture Exploration Society. To date, contemporary research into natural processes are unable to offer an explanation for this phenomenon. This is perhaps indicative that the myth of pre-Un Un’s primitiveness is indeed a myth, or at least for the Unian “three-arrows-in-circle” culture.

To date, this incredible trait is only seen in The Picture of an Unian. Prevailing theories to explain the trait’s uniqueness range from a novelty item, a prototype, to a specification intended by its unknown creator(s). Unlike the theories surrounding the identity of the Unian depicted in The Picture of an Unian, there has not yet been any factionalism regarding the theories surrounding The Picture of an Unian’s generation of sound waves.

Of note, the intensity of sound waves generated by The Picture of an Unian increases when an observer is nearing it. These results were reproduced in over one hundred experiments, involving a unique species native to Orion Arm in each iteration. Thus, the sound waves are believed to a response upon the sight of non-Unian species. The presence of a live Unian specimen would be beneficial to verify such a theory, although a live Unian needs to be recovered or cloned first. Until then, this will make do.

While it is within reason that the sound waves generated might possess semiotic function, there is no means to verify or disprove it. The Solidarity textual memetic carrier, while hypothetically a plausible solution, has no effect on sound waves transmitted.

Physiology of the Unian

With no extant fossil or physical remnant of any Unians to be found, Unian Studies have long relied on visual depictions to gain some manner of insight into areas such as Unian physiology.

The Picture of an Unian offers a noteworthy contribution to the understanding of Unian physiology, verifying the existence of an upper torso in the Unian’s physiology. The existence of the upper torso (and appendages) would allow Unians to manipulate objects and modify the surroundings, leading to the numerous ruins across Un and its abandoned colonies.

Most other extant Unian visual depictions such as The Four Unians simply comprise of the head, which is presumably an ancestral form of the Unian species. This theory is highly probable, as it aligns with the evolutionary patterns of 75% of sapient species native to Orion Arm. Unlike the previous two aspects that are heavily debated upon, there is minimal debate among the scientific community over the evolutionary patterns of the Unian species.

After all, it is only natural for all sapient life to begin existence from the head. The entities once native to Un cannot be any different.