An instance of SCP-2578-A, taken from the e-mail account of [REDACTED]

Item #: SCP-2578

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Global email networks are to be monitored by the Foundation for indicators of SCP-2578-A. If the counter on a confirmed instance of SCP-2578-A reaches 24, a response team from MTF Iota-10 ("Damn Feds") is to be dispatched to the location of the corresponding instance of SCP-2578-B in no more than 10 hours. Over the last two hours, the team will monitor the situation and await further instructions.

In addition, the response team will escort one D-class Foundation employee scheduled for termination ("The Scapegoat" for the purposes of Contingency 12-Azazel), along with ampules of low-grade hypnestics.

In the case of an in-progress Impaler Event, the response team is to carry out Contingency 12-Azazel as soon as possible.

Contingency 12-Azazel:

Through the use of hypnestics, the response team will implant the scapegoat with artificial memories of assassinating SCP-2578-B.

The scapegoat will be handed over to the law enforcement authorities of SCP-2578-B's government.

In the case of an aborted Impaler Event, the instance of SCP-2578-B is to be detained and released after amnestic therapy.

Due to the potential for civilians to communicate with SCP-2578-D, instances of SCP-2578-C are to be excised from global email servers upon detection.

+ 4/2578 clearance required

- encryption key accepted

At this time, due to its location and destructive potential, containment efforts of SCP-2578-D will focus on non-intervention and repeated attempts to negotiate.

Description: SCP-2578 is the collective designation for a series of phenomena related to the deaths of at least 1██ human subjects since 1995. Prior to death, all victims (referred to as individual instances of SCP-2578-B) shared the following characteristics:

SCP-2578-B was a political figure, or was due to hold office at a future date.

SCP-2578-B intended to engage in all of the following political activities at a future date, and had the adequate military, financial, and political resources to do so:

Ethnic cleansing

The establishment, continuation, or reinstatement of government-sponsored slavery and/or child labor

The violent suppression of peaceful protest and/or dissent

War crimes against foreign powers

The establishment of absolute control of the national press, media, and religion

SCP-2578-B was relatively unopposed in these views by its constituents, and dissent or rebellion was curbed in such a way that, had the subject not died, all of its plans could have been successfully implemented.

72 hours prior to its death, the instance SCP-2578-B will receive a message, SCP-2578-A, on its primary personal e-mail client. The sender will only be identified by a set symbol1, shared with all instances of SCP-2578-A.

The content of SCP-2578-A is consistent throughout all instances:

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS2

[subject's latitude and longitude]

[a number, which is 144 in the first message]

I never miss my mark. Abdicate and you will live. [This part of the message is then repeated in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog.]

After 30 minutes, the message will be resent to SCP-2578-B, but the value of the second number will decrease by one. Once the number reaches zero, an Impaler Event will occur 72 hours after the initial SCP-2578-A. The corresponding SCP-2578-B can stop the countdown in a variety of ways, including:

Resignation of their post,

Rescinding any pending orders that correspond with the aforementioned political activities,

Surrender to a war crimes tribunal or a resistance movement, and/or

Suicide.

Impaler events are characterized by the sudden appearance of a borehole in the targeted instance of SCP-2578-B, which usually begins at the top of the head and ends at the groin, though alternative locations, such as with SCP-2578-B-429, have been noted. Though these incidents bear evidence of a high-powered gunshot, no bullets have been recovered from these events, and the holes will appear even when the instance is on an airplane, underground, or in a building, with no damage to the surrounding area.

SCP-2578-C refers to a set of emails sent to various politicians, civilians, and other human subjects after a successful or aborted Impaler Event. The content varies and can be personalized, but will usually include a declaration of victory and/or words of encouragement, such as this message sent to a synagogue scheduled to be bombed after the election of SCP-2578-B-429:

[three-crescent symbol] is victorious. Ioan Lupescu successfully terminated 5/12/2009.

Payment Due for Services Rendered:

- Abandon your fears of tyranny.

- Know that [three-crescent symbol] will always watch over you, [three-crescent symbol] will always protect you, and [three-crescent symbol] will always love you.3

[The entire content of this message is then repeated in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog.]

+ 4/2578 Clearance Required

- encryption key accepted.

SCP-2578-D is a metallic spacecraft approximately 3 meters in length. It has been identified as the source of all Impaler Events and SCP-2578-A and -C transmissions. Whether SCP-2578-D is a manned or unmanned spacecraft is unknown at this time.

The origin of SCP-2578-D is unknown, but its design has been noted as similar to that of a horseshoe crab. This is believed to be an aesthetic design choice rather than to serve a definite purpose. Various painted decals of the triple-crescent symbol associated with SCP-2578-A and -C have been identified on its sides from satellite photography.

The "tail" of SCP-2578-D can be positioned from three points of articulation. The tip of the tail contains what appears to be a projectile weapon system used to carry out Impaler Events. The mechanism behind this weapon is not currently understood. In addition to this weapon, it also contains an unknown amount of surface-mounted energy projection devices. (See incident-2578-1427 for more information)

The location of SCP-2578-D varies as needed to carry out its objectives and avoid detection, but it will rarely descend lower than 4,000 km above the Earth's surface. The propulsion mechanism of SCP-2578-D is unknown.

Addendum - Excerpts from the log of recorded SCP-2578-B instances:

Designation
Name, Title
Impaler Event
Notes

SCP-2578-B-013
Radovan Karadžić, President of the Republika Srpska
Occurred 4/19/1996
Note from Dr. Naismith: As of 7/21/2008, the current procedures are to take precedent over all former containment procedures. I'm sorry, framing D-class for killing politicians isn't pretty, but our "alternative medicine guru" cover-up after SCP-2578 caused the "disappearance" of Karadžić wasn't just unethical - it was silly.

SCP-2578-B-326
Mohammad bin Salman, Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia
Aborted
For a detailed list of the 230 aborted Impaler Events so far in Saudi Arabia, please refer to Document-2578-K.

SCP-2578-B-429
Ioan Lupescu, President-Elect of Romania
Occurred 5/12/2009
The borehole was discovered through Mr. Lupescu's chest. Eyewitness accounts claimed that approximately five minutes before the Impaler event, Mr. Lupescu grew increasingly agitated for unknown reasons and insisted on letting his 4-year-old daughter ride on his shoulders.

+ 5/2578 Clearance Required

- encryption key accepted

Incident 2578-1427: On 4/19/2016, after the aborted Impaler Event of SCP-2578-B-832, the Foundation used the computer terminals that received several instances of SCP-2578-C in China to triangulate the origin of the messages, leading to the discovery of SCP-2578-D. E-mail contact was established with SCP-2578-D by the Foundation shortly thereafter, requesting information about its origins. In return, SCP-2578-D sent the following:

Very interesting! With regrets, I must ignore these irrelevant questions completely and thank you immensely for the indirect access to your database, which was very informative about the impasse I have reached in North Korea.

For a while, it felt as if I were talking to a wall in the back-and-forth with Kim Jong-Un, but a bronze stele is close enough. It seems a more direct approach is needed for liberation.

With love, [triple-crescent symbol]

Two hours after the above message was received by O5 command, SCP-1427 was declared neutralized. Research into use of SCP-2578 as a means of neutralizing difficult to contain SCP objects, or SCP objects of political origin, is pending O5 approval.

Incident 2578-1427 Timeline:

17:15: Containment staff of SCP-1427 terminated in a simultaneous Impaler Event without warning. E-mails of apologies sent to the containment staff's families from SCP-2578-D.

17:29: SCP-2578-D sighted in the stratosphere over Pyongyang, descending rapidly from high earth orbit.

17:31: SCP-2578-D infiltrates the containment area of SCP-1427 and begins direct bombardment with projected energy weapons on the ends of its tendrils.

17:32: 1427 sustains heavy damage and snaps in two. SCP-2578-D begins to retreat, apparently leaving the stele for neutralized.

17:34: As an apparent defense mechanism, SCP-1427 begins to exhibit higher-than-usual output of electromagnetic energy, causing irreversible psychological damage to all those who were previously under its control.

17:36: SCP-2578-D returns, latches onto both halves of SCP-1427, and rapidly ascends into high Earth orbit.

17:53: The two halves of SCP-1427 are seen by a Foundation satellite, drifting in the direction of the Sun.

At 20:12, Dr. Naismith received the following message from SCP-2578-D:

[three-crescent symbol] is victorious. Regrettably, I could not stop the stele from delivering its cowardly parting shot toward its slaves. Even so, their current plight is better than life as it had been only a day prior. I thank you for your assistance, friend.

Also, I have sustained heavy external damage from expending this much energy in a short period of time, so if any tyrants come up while I'm in auto-repair for the next week, I'm afraid they'll have to wait a bit longer.

Footnotes

1. The symbol appears to be three crescent shapes next to each other.

2. Latin, "thus always to tyrants." State motto of Virginia, also notable for its use in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.

3. This part of the message is present in some capacity in all instances of SCP-2578-C.