A photograph of SCP-6853's power on screen.

A photograph of SCP-6853 while connected to a subject as they play SCP-6853-1 on Stage 136.

A photograph of SCP-6853-1's Ending Screen.

Item #: SCP-6853

Object Class: Safe Keter

Special Containment Procedures:

SCP-6853 is to be kept within a secure locker in Site-73 when not undergoing testing by Foundation personnel. Access to SCP-6853 must be approved by a researcher of Level 2 clearance or higher. Subjects operating SCP-6853 must be monitored by a Foundation psychiatrist and Foundation medical team.

SCP-6853 is currently uncontained - See Incident Report SCP-6853-1. Web analysis bot Oscar-12 ("DUNE-HUNTER") has been adjusted and is to continue monitoring public forums for any devices that match SCP-6853's description. Texan medical centers are to be observed for any cases of patients consuming AA batteries.

In the event SCP-6853 is rediscovered, it is to be transported back to Site-73 with the use of a D-class personnel who will operate the device until it is fully secured. SCP-6853 must then be returned to a secure locker in Site-73 and be constantly monitored by the Foundation. Further testing of SCP-6853 is to be restricted unless authorized by Dune Mountain Taskforce head researcher, Dr. Leetam.

Description: SCP-6853 is an unbranded portable gaming device. SCP-6853 does not have any ports for data transfer, game cartridges or charging. Material testing of SCP-6853 illustrates that it is made of an indestructible unknown substance that imitates the appearance and properties of glass, plastic, and stainless steel. X-ray analysis of SCP-6853’s interior does not highlight anything anomalous when it is inactive.

SCP-6853 can be powered on by pressing the device’s ‘Start’ button. Once SCP-6853 is powered on, the device briefly displays its model name ‘Fire Play XS315P’ and a company logo ‘Dune Mountain Games’ before continuing to a game titled ‘Trial By Fire: Portable Deluxe Edition’ - designated SCP-6853-1.1 SCP–6853-1 resembles and functions as a typical early 1990s platform game with 264 stages that progressively increase in difficulty and length.2 SCP-6853 powers off when it has had no interaction for a period of 15 minutes.

Subjects who power-up SCP-6853 exhibit a mild desire to play and complete SCP-6853-1.3 Subjects who have SCP-6853 removed from them after 1 hour of interaction have been observed exhibiting frustration towards Foundation staff with the desire to play SCP-6853-1. After a period of 24 hours, the desire to play SCP-6853-1 eventually subsides in all subjects tested. Additional symptoms from subjects separated from SCP-6853 include increased anxiety and insomnia – with subjects reporting having nightmares surrounding SCP-6853-1. These symptoms have been reported to last up to 3 months after separation from SCP-6853. Experiments with Class B amnestics on subjects who operate SCP-6853 have proven unproductive in stemming the psychological effects SCP-6853 has on subjects who play SCP-6853-1 for more than 1 hour.

When SCP-6853 is powered on for approximately 2 hours, its outer shell reveals two previous undetectable openings on each side of the device. From the openings on the top, left and right sides of SCP-6853, 6 mechanical limbs emerge. These mechanical limbs serve as a means of transportation for SCP-6853, as it uses them to follow the separated subjects who powered on the device. The maximum recorded speed of SCP-6853 was approximately .17 meters per second. Material testing of SCP-6853’s mechanical limbs illustrate that they are made of the same unknown indestructible material as the outer shell, allowing SCP-6853 to burrow through anything separating the device from the subject.

The openings on the bottom side of SCP-6853 eject 12 clear flexible cylinders. These cylinders inject themselves into the wrist of whoever is currently playing SCP-6853-1, where they draw blood from the subject and transport it to an unknown area of the device. Subjects who are attached to SCP-6853 via these cylinders begin to develop a compulsive eating disorder, craving and consuming AA batteries. Subjects who are observed continuing to play SCP-6853-1 can consume upwards to 3 AA batteries an hour. The consumption of high levels of AA batteries typically leads to blockages in the esophagus, choking, internal chemical burns, and poisoning from possible batteries splitting and rupturing at varying stages of the digestive system.

Subjects unable to obtain AA batteries during interaction with SCP-6853 have been recorded becoming violent towards Foundation personnel as well as exhibiting varying levels of exhaustion. Subjects restrained from consuming any AA batteries while playing SCP-6853-1 eventually die as a result of blood loss. The subject’s cravings for AA batteries ends once the game SCP-6853-1 is completed or the subject stops interacting with SCP-6853 for up to 24 hours. Once SCP-6853-1 is completed, the device powers off, with the limbs and cylinders retracting back into an unknown area of the device.

Discovery: SCP-6853 was purchased by the Foundation on 27th of September 2019 from the internet auction website Ebay after it was identified that the object listed was connected to Dune Mountain Games.4 Foundation investigations into the seller discovered the item was being sold by the mother of a 29-year-old male named Ciaran Davis of Houston Texas as part of an estate clean out.

Mr. Davis was an avid collector of rare and discontinued gaming devices. Mr. Davis worked as a stocking associate until he was dismissed from his place of work on the 18th of April 2019 due to unexplained absence from the workplace. On the 29th of April 2019 Mr. Davis was found dead within his home. Houston medical examiners attribute Mr. Davis’ death to the eating disorder called Pica. Mr. Davis’ stomach and upper intestines had ruptured due to the number of AA batteries Mr. Davis had consumed, leading to a combination of blood poisoning and the infection of vital organs. Mr. Davis’ wrists were observed to have scarring from SCP-6853 that had begun to heal, suggesting that he had used the device for multiple weeks before it led to his death. Further investigations into the connection between Mr. Davis, SCP-6853 and Dune Mountain Games were unproductive.

Addendum SCP-6843-1: It is now known that SCP-6853 does not require a subject to manually turn the device on - see Incident Report SCP-6853-1. Moreover, SCP-6853 is to now be considered autonomous until it is recaptured and further testing on the device is conducted.

+ Show Incident Report SCP-6853-1

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Date: 09/22/2019

Location: Site-73

Description of Incident: With the recent discovery of SCP-6873, Level 3 Researcher Dr. Mike Alger had stayed overnight to finish further material testing on SCP-6853. Dr. Alger was given permission to house the device in their lab until their tests had finished - SCP-6853 was considered a safe class SCP and its anomalous effects would not have been activated during material testing. Dr. Alger had conducted previous material tests on SCP-6853 and knew about the device's anomalous effects.

At approximately [01:18:00] SCP-6853's mechanical limbs activated without the need of human interaction. Dr. Alger, who had set SCP-6853 down on their work table, was still in the lab waiting for their material analysis results.

At [01:18:03] power fluctuations isolated to Dr. Alger's lab were recorded by site systems. Security footage of Dr. Alger's lab support these records. Dr. Alger can be seen in the lab's security feed turning to look at SCP-6853.

At [01:18:06] all power is lost in Dr. Alger's lab. The labs security feed is temporarily lost.

At [01:18:20] power is restored to Dr. Alger's lab. The security feed returns. Dr. Alger's body is observed laying on the floor motionless.

At [01:24:15] Site security, who had noticed the power cut, arrived at the lab to find Dr. Alger decapitated and SCP-6853 missing. Note: Dr. Alger's decapitated head has yet to be found.

At [01:24:45] Site security reported the containment breach and Site-73 was put into lockdown.

At approximately [02:00:00] Dune Mountain Taskforce arrived back to Site-73 and an immediate investigation into the incident was conducted. It was discovered that SCP-6853 had burrowed out of Site-73.

09/22/2019 - 11/22/2019 SCP-6853's trail is tracked for further 32 kilometers outside of Site-73 until it abruptly ends along with all traces of the device.

Security camera footage of Incident SCP-6843-1.

Enhanced camera footage of SCP-6843 during Incident SCP-6843-1.