Item #: SCP-4846

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-4846 instances are to be organized into climate-controlled containers and collectively stored in a standard hermetic vault. Each instance is to be professionally maintained by a researcher with field experience in paleontology. Access permissions for SCP-4846 may be waived on request by personnel with at least Level 2 security clearance; recurrent access may be granted should SCP-4846 instances respond well to designated personnel.

A designated fund is to be maintained by the research team overseeing the acquisition of new SCP-4846 instances. The fund is to be budgeted in accordance with Foundation fiscal policy to fulfill any SCP-4846-related restoration projects. When seeking and establishing caretakers or proprietors for locations pertaining to SCP-4846 manifestations, the SCP-4846 research team is to maintain a list of retired Foundation personnel who are amenable to settling in remote areas, and communicate with them as necessary.

Donations to high-profile charities involving wildlife preservation are to be closely monitored. Possible owners of uncontained instances of SCP-4846 are to be identified and if prudent, investigated.

Description: SCP-4846 refers to a collection of anomalous fossils (see log excerpt below), with each instance possessing unique autonomous movement and interactive capabilities. When within the presence of unfamiliar individuals, SCP-4846 instances typically remain stationary and appear non-anomalous. SCP-4846 that are accompanied by stone bases are capable of removing themselves from said stone, and will return to the stone bases when verbally prompted.

SCP-4846 individuals are typically discovered at or near archaeologically or historically significant landmarks, after an act of charity is performed, to the benefit of the location or individuals who staff organizations in the area. Of note, most Foundation-witnessed SCP-4846 manifestations have occurred in national parks. Upon manifestation, instances of SCP-4846 are accompanied by a messily scrawled handwritten note. Said notes consistently follows an internalized format, as seen below:

You found fossil friend #4!

Jim here loves to hang out with friends! He also loves █████████ ████'█, which is a great place to have a drink and just kick back with your best buds. I would know, I made it a weekly tradition back in my crazier years!

Good luck on your quest to explore the past! Your next friend can be found at [coordinates provided, varies between notes].

SCP-4846 first came to Foundation attention following the reported disappearance of a large cache of fossil specimens from the █████ Museum. Foundation field agents dispatched to investigate the apparent theft were informed that the purchase had been arranged with a Mr. Elijah ███ (tentatively designated PoI-4846), who had offered his personal collection to the museum for an unusually low price. The alleged theft was stated to have occurred after Mr. ███ had a disagreement with the museum curators involving placement of the fossils; of note, the missing fossils appeared to have been broken out from the inside of the glass display cases they were stored in.

Foundation personnel were sent to examine the museum, and discovered a trail of debris that led to a nearby archaeological dig site that was currently in process to be demolished and urbanized. Approximately 24 hours after the Foundation secured the location for further investigation, thereby halting the demolition, the first recorded instance of SCP-4846 manifested and was contained.

In the following years, many additional SCP-4846 instances were discovered by Foundation personnel, in various locations believed to hold personal significance to PoI-4846. A partial excerpt of the recorded instances of particular interest are as follows:

Instance SCP-4846-4 in its inert specimen form at time of initial donation to the █████ Museum.

Instance #: 4 "Jim"

Discovery Location: █████████ ████'█, Saint Louis, Missouri. Handwritten note (as provided above) indicates that PoI-4846 once visited this bar weekly with close friends.

Instance Description: A miniature Tanystropheus (large land-dwelling reptile with an extremely long neck) skeleton. Instance measures approximately 2 meters long, and is capable of independent locomotion when a group of at least 3 well-acquainted individuals are seated within close proximity of the instance. The skeleton will perform simple party entertainment when prompted, including balancing assorted drinkware on its back, making small towers of sundries it is presented with, and performing a rudimentary tap dance if placed on a tabletop.

Notes - Instance emerged from wall and approached Foundation agents during an after-hours discussion between said agents and the proprietor of the establishment, who had previously expressed concern regarding the longevity of the bar. Foundation personnel provided the owner with a substantial anonymous donation towards keeping the bar running, as well as a list of contacts for live entertainment artists interested in performing at the location.

Instance SCP-4846-6 in its inert specimen form, at the █████ Museum.

Instance #: 6 "Shelly"

Discovery Location: Channel Islands National Park, California. Handwritten note indicates that PoI-4846 and his significant other spent their honeymoon at this location.

Instance Description: An Icthyosaur (large finned marine reptile) skeleton partially encased in stone. Instance is capable of altering its size, including expanding to up to 4 meters long and shrinking to small enough to fit in a pocket. Instance functions as a self-propelling raft and is able to reliably carry up to two adult humans across shallow waters, moving at a slow pace.

Notes - Instance was recovered following the establishment of a monthly Foundation initiative to clear litter and other debris from the shorelines of the National Park. Personnel describe the initial encounter involving the skeleton rising from the incoming tide and floating to rest near the cleanup crew.

Instance SCP-4846-8 in its inert specimen form, at the █████ Museum.

Instance #: 8 "Ray"

Discovery Location: Backcountry camping grounds, Everglades, Florida. Note indicates that PoI-4846 and his friends held annual camping trips at this location.

Instance Description: A Microraptor (small, four-winged paravian dinosaur) fossil measuring 1 meter long. During darkness hours, if left uncovered, the instance will open its mouth and emit a soft golden light, as well as increase in temperature to provide a warmth described as "pleasant" and "cozy".

Notes - Instance manifested spontaneously near Foundation staff aiding in wildlife conservation projects near the camping grounds. Personnel who had been stationed at a sanctuary for American crocodiles reported that the instance seemed to have "stepped out of" the glow of a lantern left on a table, and readily followed them back to the campsite where it was secured for transportation to the nearest Foundation site.

Instance SCP-4846-9 in its inert specimen form, at the █████ Museum.

Instance #: 9 "Alex"

Discovery Location: Grant Village Restaurant, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Noted as the location PoI-4846 proposed to his wife.

Instance Description: A Longisquama (reptile possessing distinctive integumentary structures along its back) fossil. The large back structures will vibrate to produce melodic whistling sounds. Of note, this behavior is only observed when two nearby individuals who are at least on friendly terms sing together. If the sung duet possesses a romantic tone, the instance will accompany the singers with more complex harmonies.

Notes - To date, this instance's manifestation was the most time-intensive to initiate. Foundation personnel assigned to the SCP-4846 project attempted a series of strategies, including donating money directly to Yellowstone, assisting with cleanup initiatives, and helping regular tourist traffic during high-activity times. Eventually when the park's bottles-into-benches recycling initiative started and Foundation personnel contributed to the designs of the furniture made from discarded bottles and jars, the instance was spotted near the recycling receptacles. Several months later, the instance appeared sitting on one of the recycled material benches. This immediately followed the Foundation's donation of an antique piano to the Grant Village Restaurant in PoI-4846's wife's name. The piano was affixed with a small brass plaque bearing the names of PoI-4846 and his wife, as well as their anniversary date per the note accompanying SCP-4846 instance #6.

Instance SCP-4846-10 in its inert specimen form, on display at the █████ Museum.

Instance #: 10 "Buddy"

Discovery Location: Congaree National Park, South Carolina. Stated to be "where it all begun", where PoI-4846 and his former roommate went on the first backpacking trip of their lives. Of note, the documentation accompanying this instance did not possess the usual coordinates, but instead merely read, "that's all for now."

Instance Description: A Nothronychus (herbivorous dinosaur with a beak and four-toed feet) skeleton. Instance exhibits behaviors that are related to survival assistance, including foraging for edible plants to bring to its companions, directing attention to signs of nearby aggressive wildlife, and serving as a guide if directions are needed to clean water, human outposts, or areas to set up camp.

Notes - First instance that did not require additional Foundation action. When Foundation agents reached Congaree National Park, the instance was perched on top of the main signpost, as if awaiting their arrival.

On ██/██/████, a proposal was made to begin a roster listing Foundation retirees who may be assigned to SCP-4846 instances and their corresponding locations to better observe and maintain containment of the anomalies. Said proposal was approved the following week, with Researcher McNamara of the project team assigned as a preliminary trial subject to be the first designated caretaker of an SCP-4846 instance.

Shortly after, the SCP-4846 instance (Instance SCP-4846-10, "Buddy") assigned to Researcher McNamara was reported to have carried to him a scrap of paper in its mouth. The document recovered was an excerpt from Mr. Elijah ███'s last will and testament, which named McNamara as the recipient of a sizable collection of foreign currency. The collection was apparently amassed during Mr. ███'s travels, and kept in a safety deposit box at a nearby bank.

Researcher McNamara claimed the collection without incident; the currency was verified to be non-anomalous and is currently housed with the SCP-4846 instances awaiting caretaker assignment. It is noted that the SCP-4846 instance in McNamara's care has indicated interest in the inherited coin collection, often picking up individual coins and placing them into organized piles, as if mimicking behavior it may have observed previously.

The portion of Mr. Elijah ███'s will was found to be non-anomalous, with no unusual features save for a small winking "smiley-face" drawn in ballpoint pen on the back of the paper.