Item #: SCP-5116

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5116 instances are to be contained in a warehouse in Site-49. Individual desks and chairs are to be arranged in a 5x5 grid pattern, with SCP-5116 placed upon them. Personnel are not permitted to make contact with either SCP-5116 or SCP-5116-A instances within the period between 12-6 AM local time.

Living individuals corresponding to SCP-5116-A instances are to be monitored at all times for aberrant behavior and signifiers of demonic possession, to be immediately exorcised and contained upon the manifestation of such behavior.

Houses affected by SCP-5116-B are to be purchased and maintained under the guise of renovation. Abernathy Heat Sinks are to be installed in affected basements. In the event that entities escape SCP-5116-B, the nearest site is to immediately deploy MTF-א ("Gideon's Trumpet"), a regiment of field-trained exorcists.

Description: SCP-5116 is a collection of 25 24 vintage Atari 2600 video game consoles and CRT television sets, running the 1978 game Space Invaders. SCP-5116 are unable to be powered down, and possess hexagrams and other occult symbols etched on the interior of the consoles' casings for unknown reasons.

Personnel are unable to play SCP-5116, with instances displaying the words "PLEASE INSERT ONE (1) COIN TO BEGIN", despite no method of inserting coins into SCP-5116 existing. Personnel who attempt to interact with either SCP-5116 or SCP-5116-A after midnight are attacked by a legion of Type-Yod Tartarean entities1, which demanifest upon the subject leaving the immediate vicinity.

Photo of gameplay.

Every midnight, twenty-five humanoid entities designated SCP-5116-A, manifest at the controls of the SCP-5116 instances. These instances resemble the semi-finalists in the 1980 Atari Space Invaders Championship. SCP-5116-A are almost entirely incorporeal, but can manipulate the inputs of SCP-5116. Entities appear completely unaware of their surroundings, and do not respond to attempted communication. If an SCP-5116-A instance reaches a fail-state on its SCP-5116 instance the SCP-5116-A instance will demanifest, to reappear the following night.

SCP-5116 noticeably differs from nonanomalous instances of Space Invaders in terms of gameplay and artstyle. Hostile sprites have additional features, which appear to be accessory horns or talons. Rather than orderly descending in rows from the top of the screen, the sprites' movement is random, descending the display in differing speeds and patterns. The protective bunkers are also absent, leaving nothing between the entities and player character, whose sprite is replaced by two perpendicular lines of differing length. There are no levels or noticeable escalation in difficulty, though as enemy sprites constantly spawn, lapses in concentration from SCP-5116-A quickly lead to fail-states.

SCP-5116-B is a extradimensional shaft of unknown depth located underneath San Diego, California. SCP-5116-B is only accessible through its entrances, the largest being within the basement of Dan "Wolf" Dunn, the former CEO of Arcadia, with smaller shafts being found within the residencies of employees also within San Diego2. SCP-5116-B constantly produces large amounts of heat, and a bright light can be seen at the bottom of the shaft.

Situated approximately 100 meters deep within the shaft, there is a small platform constructed of plywood and two-by-four lumber. On the platform is a collection of objects, some of which possess anomalous properties.

A aspersorium and aspergillum3, which is consistently replenished every ten minutes.

A wooden rosary, possessing a Saint Peter's Cross. When clasped in an individual's hands, the cross can emit short beams of high-frequency radiation.

A King James Bible.

A 1979 issue of Playboy.

A broken lawn chair.

A SCP-5116-A instance. The exact identity of the instance is obscured by heat haze.

At irregular intervals, several dozen Type-Dalet Faustian-Class Tartarean entities will begin ascending the shaft, dispelled by the resident SCP-5116-A instance using the holy water and rosary. Usage of automated exorcists is not recommended, as previous attempts have resulted in the rendering of several contracts between the Foundation and GOIs anomalously null and void.

Photo captured of SCP-5116-23's display.

Addendum 5116.1: On March 15th, 2003, SCP-5116-A-23 broke the high score, continuing to play for a further ten minutes. Following the next fail-state, SCP-5116-A-23 briefly raised its arms in celebration, and bent over in pain, flickering in and out of existence, finally demanifesting. SCP-5116-23 briefly displayed unique text, before violently shaking and spontaneously combusting.

Within SCP-5116-B, the resident SCP-5116-A froze in position and demanifested, with SCP-5116-A-23 appearing in its place.

Footnotes

1. Lacking sapience, agency, and corporeality. Often bound to objects as guardians.

2. Many of these residencies had been vacant for several years, with Dunn's house in particular having not been in use since his death in 19██.

3. Container of holy water, and associated sprinkler.