SCP-3098

Mars Global Surveyor image of SCP-3098-1

Item #: SCP-3098

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: All maritime traffic is to be diverted from the waters in a 10-kilometer radius around SCP-3098. An acoustically insulating shell is to be installed around SCP-3098. Maintenance to this shell is to be undertaken once every two years. Efforts are to be made to approach SCP-3098-1 and gain a better understanding of its functionality. Direct contact with SCP-3098 is strictly prohibited. Images of the Martian surface gathered by civilian or government organizations are to be monitored and, if necessary, altered in order to conceal the presence of SCP-3098-1.

Civilian and government expeditions in the vicinities of SCP-3098 and SCP-3098-1 are to be monitored by Foundation personnel. Information pertaining to SCP-3098 and SCP-3098-1 is to be suppressed. Plausible explanations for the appearances and effects of SCP-3098 and SCP-3098-1 are to be provided in the case of an information leak. These include the presence of undiscovered animal species, debris from human activity, or geological activity.

Description: SCP-3098 is a niobium structure attached to the ocean floor. It is located at 46.2° S, 15.3° E, off the coast of South Africa, at a depth of 3,904 meters. The structure is reminiscent of a radio antenna, and is about 4 meters tall. When in the presence of sounds in excess of 80 decibels, SCP-3098 will begin to vibrate, producing a sound of pressure level 250 decibels and average frequency 17 Hertz. Due to its low frequency, this sound is able to propagate across a large fraction of the world’s oceans before becoming undetectable, with a theoretical range of about 35,000 kilometers. The sound produced by SCP-3098 has no anomalous effects on living beings exposed to it, though cetacean populations in the southern hemisphere and beyond may become distressed.

SCP-3098 will absorb any organic matter that comes into contact with it. SCP-3098 gains 0.39 centimeters of height for every 100 kilograms of absorbed material. This process does not appear to effect SCP-3098 analogs in any way.

SCP-3098-1 is a metal structure identical in shape to SCP-3098, located on Mars at 45.6°S, 60° E, in Hellas Planitia. It is about 50 meters tall. Activity in SCP-3098 appears to immediately trigger similar activity in SCP-3098-1, though the limitations of modern reconnaissance and communication technologies prevent full certainty in the order and timing of events. Vibrations produced by SCP-3098-1 when active appear to have a much greater amplitude than those produced by SCP-3098, and have been shown to produce very minor marsquakes. The frequency of vibration is believed to be identical to that of SCP-3098.

Sound sample produced by SCP-3098

The following is a hydrophone recording of the sound produced by SCP-3098. It has been modified so that the average frequency is 240 Hertz.

Addendum 3098-1: Discovery

SCP-3098 was first observed by the crew of the USNS Eltanin in 1964, as a part of normal research operations. Images taken by the crew were released to the public before Foundation operatives could investigate. The item was rapidly found and contained, and the images were explained as a specimen of carnivorous sponge, of the species Cladorhiza concrescens. SCP-3098-1 was discovered by the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in 2006. Foundation operatives were able to intercept communications with the spacecraft before any compromising images were successfully processed. A system failure was staged to prevent further investigation by NASA.

Addendum 3098-2: Pending Changes to Special Containment Procedures

On 11-08-2021, the BepiColombo spacecraft discovered an unexplained structure above the Venusian cloud layer. Though the resolution of the images were too low to properly identify the structure, it is suspected that this structure is analogous to SCP-3098.

On 23-10-2022, the crew of the SCPF Yahaayi discovered a 5-meter tall analog of SCP-3098 at 46.2°N 164.7°W on Earth, the precise antipode of the location of SCP-3098. A request for a change to the Special Containment Procedures has been filed, proposing the use of Foundation resources to search for more SCP-3098 analogs. As of 10-2-2030, no further SCP-3098 analogs have been found.

Addendum 3098-3: Incident 3098-1

On 01-12-2030, all known SCP-3098 analogs were observed to become active simultaneously, without any known stimulus. The produced sound had a constant frequency, at 15 Hertz. The cause of this event has not been ascertained.

Addendum 3098-4: Letter from Senior Researcher Wojcik

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To my successor,

I apologize for the inevitable feelings of disappointment that will come with this position. I recommend you accept that you will probably not find any answers in your time here. I’ve already tried everything in my twenty years overseeing research into SCP-3098, and what you’ve read is all there is.

The sounds don’t seem to be coded, just random noise. It definitely isn’t playing back what it hears. In fact, it doesn’t seem to be playing anything at all. As far as we can tell, it’s made entirely out of solid niobium. No internal workings, no hollow spaces inside. We dug underneath it when we were installing the shell, and we found the node that attached it to the sea floor. It’s about the size of an oil barrel. When I saw it, I thought we’d finally cracked the mystery. I was certain the acoustic analysis would find an engine or something. Hell, I would have been happy if it was made of copper instead of niobium. But no, it turned out to be an inert anchor, solid niobium like the rest of the structure.

It doesn’t produce radiation, no secretions, nothing except for the sound. Back in 1998, we did some emission spectrometry tests on the antenna. We found it’s composed almost entirely of 92 Nb, at about 0.9 molar fraction. The rest was zirconium with traces of molybdenum. This was probably the most exciting thing we’d ever done; we were getting some real science! With those numbers, I estimated that SCP-3098 was about 5.2 million years old. That should have added some intrigue, piqued the interest of one of the higher ups. It wasn’t even added to the documentation. They said it was something about uncertainty, what with all the unknown variables.

The administration isn’t really helping, of course. They’re reluctant to offer funding to investigate further. I guess there’s good reason for it, what with so many other things waiting to end the world. All we have down here is a vibrator at the bottom of the sea. It’s not dangerous, and we’ve had no reason to believe it is. As long as no one knows about them, they’re not causing any harm.

We all have our own theories. Almost everyone thinks it has extraterrestrial origins, which makes sense. But then it must have been put here for a purpose. Maybe it’s a way for the aliens to communicate with terrestrial organisms? If it is, why does it respond with white noise? One possibility that has been gaining traction is that the antenna are actually merely projections of much larger, four-dimensional structures. It neatly explains everything away, but I can’t help but think of it as a cheap cop-out. Then again, I don’t have a better one. Though it may be needlessly pessimistic, I can’t help but think of a bell when I hear it. Just ringing out into the night sky: ‘dinner’s ready!’

At any rate, I welcome you to the new position, and wish you the best luck. May you be more successful than I was.

Regards,

John Wojcik