SCP-6376 upon discovery, 04/03/2013

Item #: SCP-6376

Object Class: Thaumiel

Special Containment Procedures: Foundation Outpost-6376 has been constructed around SCP-6376's original location. SCP-6376 is contained in a locked garden within Outpost-6376. Approximately every 2 weeks, 10 liters of human blood is to be poured on the soil and roots surrounding SCP-6376.

Ritual-6376 is forbidden without express approval by the Ethics Committee.

Description: SCP-6376 is a tree of an unknown species with bright red leaves. SCP-6376 requires regular feeding of human blood to survive but has no other environmental requirements. SCP-6376 does not lose its leaves through the changing of seasons, nor does it noticeably grow. Any individual that attempts to harm SCP-6376, through cutting it down or carving into the bark, will hear a voice warning them not to do so, and will receive a debilitating vision if they continue to pursue harming the object.

SCP-6376's "voice" is an auditory hallucination resembling human speech that the object produces under certain circumstances, such as Ritual-6376 or if a person attempts to damage it. This hallucination occurs for every human or animal within a 30-meter radius and is not impacted by walls. Individuals who have heard this voice have described it as a deep androgynous voice with gravitas, and an amused tone.

Ritual-6376 is a ritual through which SCP-6376 may be communicated with. SCP-6376 appears to be prophetic and has provided useful information to the Foundation in the past. As such, it has received the Thaumiel classification.

Addendum 1: Ritual-6376

Ritual-6376 is a method of gaining information from SCP-6376. To start, a sacrifice must be performed by the ritualist. The method of achieving this sacrifice may differ, but it should always involve the body part of a human (such as blood, bone, or hair). Depending on how valuable the sacrifice is to the ritualist, the more valuable the information one gains from SCP-6376 will be.

After the sacrifice is performed, it should be lain on the roots of SCP-6376. SCP-6376's roots will then move, pulling the sacrifice under itself. Once the sacrifice has been accepted, the ritualist must ask a question. If the sacrifice is deemed satisfactory in comparison to the value of the question, SCP-6376 will respond. If the sacrifice is unworthy, SCP-6376 will request more.

Addendum 2: Notable Ritual-6376 performances

Ritual-6376-1

Date Performed: 05/10/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 1 liter of blood.

Question: "What are you?"

Answer: "I am a tree."

Ritual-6376-2

Date Performed: 05/10/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 1 liter of blood.

Question: "Why can you talk?"

Answer: "I'll need more before I can tell you."

Ritual-6376-3

Date Performed: 05/11/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 1 arm from medical surplus.

Question: "Why can you talk?"

Answer: "Because I was made to."

Additional Notes:

SCP-6376 appears to resist providing information about itself to others. Giving the rest of my questions for today to my assistant. —Dr. Sykes

Ritual-6376-4

Date Performed: 05/11/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: 1 arm from medical surplus.

Question: "Who made you?"

Answer: "Your sacrifice is unworthy of that answer."

Ritual-6376-5

Date Performed: 05/11/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: 1 leg from medical surplus.

Question: "How much do you know?"

Answer: "The best way to explain it would be… everything."

Ritual-6376-6

Date Performed: 05/11/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: 1 leg from medical surplus.

Question: "Everything? Are you omniscient?"

Answer: "From your perspective, yes."

Ritual-6376-9

Date Performed: 05/13/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 1 human heart.

Question: "After this ritual, a random number generator will create 100 numbers between 1 and 1,000,000,000. What are these numbers?"

Answer: "683,134,009, 592,351,900, …[EXPUNGED FOR BREVITY]… and 897,329,444."

Additional Notes:

All numbers provided were accurate.

Ritual-6376-13

Date Performed: 05/15/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 10 milliliters of human blood, sourced from medical surplus.

Question: "Who am I?"

Answer: "Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes, PhD in anthropology, born in Stratford-Upon-Avon, December 7th, 1982, National Insurance number ██-██-██-██-█."

Ritual-6376-14

Date Performed: 05/15/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: 10 milliliters of pigs blood, sourced from a local butcher.

Question: "Who am I?"

Answer: SCP-6376 refused to accept the sacrifice, instead requesting that it be cleaned up.

Additional Notes:

So, SCP-6376 only accepts human sacrifices. —Dr. Sykes

Ritual-6376-15

Date Performed: 08/15/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: 1 human brain.

Question: "Are you a god?"

Answer: "By some definitions."

Additional Notes:

The next day, Dr. Holmes reported strange dreams involving SCP-6376. As these dreams were not repeated on future nights, it was deemed a non-anomalous event.

Ritual-6376-17

Date Performed: 05/18/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: One human corpse sourced from medical surplus.

Question: "What is the most optimal containment method for SCP-8███?"

Answer: "Isolate it from the herd and surround it with iron walls. Draw a salt circle within its containment chamber and make absolutely sure to refresh the salt once every three days. Every twenty-one days, push a goat into the salt circle. Once the goat has been devoured, it will be sedentary, and you will be free to remove the bones."

Additional Notes:

I hope that with this experiment, I have shown how SCP-6376 could be an extremely valuable asset to the Foundation. —Dr. Sykes

Ritual-6376-19

Date Performed: 05/24/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: One human corpse.

Question: "Where is SCP-0███?"

Answer: "The bottom of the Marianas Trench. Don't worry though, the pressure killed it, and the anomalous effects dissipated."

Ritual-6376-26

Date Performed: 07/01/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: One human corpse.

Question: "What happened to SCP-3███?"

Answer: "It was taken by the Serpents Hand, and currently is in an unmarked box in a warehouse in Pokhara, Nepal."

Ritual-6376-35

Date Performed: 07/25/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: One human corpse.

Question: "What are the names of every double agent embedded within the Foundation?"

Answer: "Apologies, your sacrifice is not worthy."

Ritual-6376-36

Date Performed: 07/25/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: Three human corpses.

Question: "What are the names of every double agent embedded within the Foundation?"

Answer: "Your sacrifice, while an improvement, is still not worthy."

Additional Notes:

This is about as much as I'm willing to spend on one question. —Dr. Sykes

Ritual-6376-37

Date Performed: 07/26/2013

Ritualist: Junior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-2349.

Question: "What are the names of every double agent embedded within the Foundation?"

Answer: SCP-6376 provided a list of 128 names of Foundation Personnel. From 128, 41 were exchanged for hostages or stolen anomalies, 32 were interrogated for information, and 4 were released with a warning. Of the remaining 53, 30 were employed as D-Class at Outpost-6376.

Additional Notes:

After this ritual, Researcher Miranda Sykes withdrew from the project. In recognition of his work, Dr. Richard Holmes was promoted to Researcher.

Ritual-6376-42

Date Performed: 08/15/2013

Ritualist: Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-3.

Question: "What is the meaning of life?"

Answer: "It differs between the individual."

Ritual-6376-49

Date Performed: 08/24/2013

Ritualist: Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-8.

Question: "What is the greatest danger to the Foundation at the present time?"

Answer: "The unwilling collapse of the Veil at an inconvenient moment, and the masses rising up against you."

Additional Notes:

This ritual was interrupted when the sacrifice attempted to run from the garden halfway through. Fortunately, Outpost-6376's security team was able to dispose of them before they left the garden.

Ritual-6376-54

Date Performed: 09/01/2013

Ritualist: Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-14.

Question: "How can the Foundation best prepare for upcoming dangers over the next decade?"

Answer: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Additional Notes:

After this ritual, in recognition for his help to the Foundation, Dr. Holmes was promoted to Senior Researcher.

Ritual-6376-66

Date Performed: 09/08/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-23.

Question: "What is the most fruitful question the Foundation could ask you?"

Answer: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Additional Notes:

Finding the answer to this question has been deemed a top priority by the O5 Council.

Ritual-6376-67

Date Performed: 09/09/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-24.

Question: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Answer: "This isn't enough for an answer like this."

Ritual-6376-68

Date Performed: 09/10/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-25, D-6376-26.

Question: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Answer: "Still not enough. Sorry."

Ritual-6376-69

Date Performed: 09/12/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: D-6376-27, D-6376-28, D-6376-29, and D-6376-30 are placed into a wooden cage in SCP-6376's garden. That cage is set on fire, and the sacrifices are incinerated. The ashes are given to SCP-6376.

Question: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Answer: "Still not enough, but I appreciated the theatrics."

Ritual-6376-74

Date Performed: 09/20/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Miranda Sykes.

Sacrifice: One human corpse

Question: "What sacrifice would be worthy of the question [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]?"

Answer: "There are many I would accept. You are approaching this from the wrong angle. Sacrifice's merit isn't based on the value or amount sacrificed, it's based on how difficult of a sacrifice it is. No matter how many D-Class lives you give me, you already considered them disposable. That impacts their value."

Additional Notes:

Let it end, Holmes. —Dr. Sykes

Leave me be. I'll figure it out. —Dr. Holmes

Ritual-6376-75

Date Performed: 09/26/2013

Ritualist: Senior Researcher Richard Holmes.

Sacrifice: Lynn Holmes, David Holmes

Question: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Answer: [DATA REDACTED PER O5 ORDER]

Additional Notes:

Dr. Holmes accomplished this sacrifice by drugging his wife and infant son. He brought them to the garden, and terminated them while they were asleep. In recognition of his help to the Foundation, and as compensation for his loss, he was issued a 33% pay raise, starting at the next calendar year.

Addendum 3: Incident-6376

Incident #: 6376

Incident Date: 09/28/2013

Incident Report: At 03:41, Senior Researcher Richard Holmes entered SCP-6376's garden, and barricaded himself in. He then attempted to damage SCP-6376 with an axe. The following transcript details security footage taken within SCP-6376's enclosure. Notably, since SCP-6376 communicates mentally, its side of the conversation is unknown.

[Dr. Holmes enters the garden and barricades the door.]

Dr. Holmes: Hello.

[Dr. Holmes walks towards SCP-6376.]

Dr. Holmes: You lied. You promised me success. You promised me happiness. Then you killed my family!

[Dr. Holmes swings his axe at SCP-6376. He stops partway through the swing.]

Dr. Holmes: I know. Don't care.

[Dr. Holmes swings the axe back, and collapses screaming.]

[Dr. Holmes closes his eyes and grabs the axe, swinging around blindly.]

[Dr. Holmes screams.]

Dr. Holmes: No! No! No! No! No!

[The axe makes contact with SCP-6376, dislodging a small amount of bark. A red sap indistinguishable from blood leaks out.]

[Dr. Holmes stops swinging and drops the axe.]

[Dr. Holmes collapses on the roots of SCP-6376, and begins sobbing.]

[Dr. Holmes shakes, then stills. He stops sobbing.]

Dr. Holmes: …Oh.

[The roots of SCP-6376 reach up to grab Dr. Holmes. Dr. Holmes does not fight this.]

[Fifteen seconds of corrupted footage.]

[Dr. Holmes lies limp in SCP-6376's roots. He is pulled beneath the earth.]

Result: Access to SCP-6376 is now forbidden to everyone without express order of the Outpost Director. Security surrounding SCP-6376's garden has been increased to prevent further break-ins.