The first example of SCP-2568 retrieved.

Item #: SCP-2568

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: Each instance of SCP-2568 is to be contained in a 90cm-per-side cubic box constructed of cubic subdivisions, each 10 centimeters on each side, ± 5mm.

Paths from the object to the walls, floor, and ceiling should be kept clear of objects that might be harmed by a steel ball appearing inside them, such as personnel. Following incident SCP-2568-C, if multiple instances are contained within the same room or locker, they are not to be placed directly in line with each other, to reduce the risk of collisions.

Electromagnets and laser or ultrasonic rangefinders are to be used to precisely control the object, ensuring that it remains in the center of the containment apparatus. Note: See Addendum 2568-A regarding the use of ultrasonic rangefinders. Contained correctly, an instance of SCP-2568 which acquires a significant velocity it will almost certainly lodge itself in the chamber walls or some other solid object, from which it can easily be retrieved. For this reason, it has been classified as Safe.

SCP-2568-1 is non-anomalous anomalous but classified as Safe. It is extremely old and should be stored according to normal Foundation Archives protocol for ancient organic objects.

Description: SCP-2568 is a collection of twenty-nine (29) twenty-seven (27) steel balls 3.33 centimeters in diameter. Instances of SCP-2568 move only in increments of 0.2 times their diameter along their axes and rotate only in increments of 3.6 degrees around their axes.

Note: Units of Measure.

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The actual diameter of each instance of SCP-2586 is exactly the distance that light can travel in 108.8 picoseconds - that is, the wavelength of light at the reciprocal ground state hyperfine splitting frequency of the cesium-133 atom (9,192,631,770 Hz), or 32,616 microns. They are ground to an extremely fine precision, and remain quite smooth despite their age.

This was not determined with precision until several years after the recovery of SCP-2568, through the use of laser interferometry. The difference between 32,616 microns and the 33,000 micron measurements used in all existing containment gear is small enough not to present a problem, as evinced by the fact that the holes on SCP-2568-1 vary by as much as 1000 microns and have no trouble containing instances of SCP-2586.

Similarly, the movement of SCP-2586 is limited to increments of 6,523 microns, or 0.2x the nominal radius.

When a force is applied to an SCP-2568 object, it acquires a "virtual" velocity; that is, if a force were applied which would accelerate it to 1 cm/s, it would rest in place for 0.33 seconds, then teleport 0.33 centimeters in the direction in which the force was applied.

As mentioned above, these items cannot move except along three perpendicular axes. The vertical axis is oriented upwards (that is, toward and away from Earth's gravitational center), but the two horizontal axes are not aligned to gravity, magnetic fields, or any other obvious means of directional determination. The axes are fixed and cannot be changed by any means so far devised.

When one of the objects does move, it emits a flash of electromagnetic radiation in all frequencies at the destination, the brightness of which scales linearly with the object's virtual velocity. Dr. Matthews is currently working on the initial stages of a test to determine if useful energy can be extracted from this process; for now, he has advised all personnel handling SCP-2568 to be careful not to accelerate them to too great a velocity, as they could theoretically produce harmful levels of ionizing radiation.

Addendum 2568-A: Initial recovery.

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The first example of SCP-2568 was recovered from its resting place in a Gash Group settlement near Agordat, Eritrea. During initial containment at Provisional Site-223.Ag, the object's position was measured with consumer-grade ultrasonic rangefinders due to availability. The sound waves emitted during their operation imparted a virtual velocity to the object which eventually caused it to "hop" out of the containment tent, through several meters of air, and into the cereal bowl of a member of the expedition during breakfast, causing surprise and distress but no injuries. Henceforth, only laser rangefinders are to be used in containment to prevent this kind of incident in the future.

Addendum 2568-B: Recovery of later samples.

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Further excavation at Provisional Site-223.Ag has revealed twenty-eight (28) additional items with the same properties, classified as additional instances of SCP-2568. They were found in various positions on a square of hardwood, about 8 cm thick, with 3.3 cm hemispherical divots spaced 3.3 cm apart in an 8x8 grid. Despite heavy cracking damage, and clear erosion of fine surface detail, the object remains structurally sound. This object is hereby classified SCP-2568-1.

Foundation anthropologists, posing as Eritrean government officials, cooperated with researchers from the British Museum and the University of Cambridge Museum of Anthropology and Archaeology to determine that SCP-2568-1 was most likely a game board of some kind, and was produced at least 4000 years ago, which is consistent with the age of the site from which it was recovered.

Addendum 2568-C: Incident log.

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Incident 2568-C

Situation:

Two instances of SCP-2568 in their containment boxes were placed in the same secure locker area, one above the other. The power supply on one containment box failed, and a few moments later, security cameras and staff reported a significant explosion which destroyed the entire locker area.

Results:

The explosion caused a minor containment breach in which SCP-████ killed 2 security personnel before being contained. 2 Safe items and 14 anomalous items awaiting classification were lost, presumed destroyed.

The two SCP-2568 instances were not recovered.

Analysis:

As the standard lockers at Site-77 are 18 centimeters tall, when the power supply on the upper object's containment apparatus failed, it gained a virtual velocity due to the force of gravity and fell through the top of the second container's box. The sensors in that container, detecting both objects, triggered a bug in the the control program which caused it to emit the maximum values for the associated electromagnets, applying a very high force to the lower SCP-2568 instance. When the upper one proceeded, a few microseconds later, to move downward into the same space as the lower one, the magnetic forces prevented either one from appropriately vacating the space as normal.

Needs:

Dr. Da Costa and Dr. Matthews agree that such incidents can be entirely avoided by simply spacing out these objects diagonally, so they cannot easily move into the same space. In addition, the control program has been corrected for all remaining containers.

Note by Dr. Da Costa: This raises some interesting questions. Clearly these things are dangerous, but perhaps only when they are so tightly contained? On a board like SCP-2568-1 they would collide all the time, and we have to assume that they were safe enough to be played with.

Addendum 2568-D: Experiment log.

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Experiment 2568-D

Situation:

Four instances of SCP-2568 were placed on SCP-2568-1. D-2568-22 was instructed to attempt to cause them to collide. After a few minutes of getting used to their anomalous properties, he managed to maneuver them into place on the board.

Results:

When any two instances were made to collide, the one not moving was bumped out of its place in the direction of the moving one, but only by one space. When at the edge, both simply stopped. How this happens is unknown; in theory, the non-moving instance should be bumped off the board and continue into free space.

When all four instances were made to collide, each emitted a very bright flash of light and all four acquired an extreme virtual velocity. Two ricochetted around the board until succumbing to friction and settling down. The other two flew off the board at an angle, one embedding itself in the glass of the observation room and the other in the adjacent wall.

Notes by Dr. Da Costa:

Clearly, SCP-2568-1 is capable of controlling the virtual velocity of these objects in a way that we don't understand. I suggest an immediate reclassification of that item as anomalous, under a Safe categorization, and a good deal of further testing.

Addendum 2568-E: On future Provisional Site-223.Ag accessions.

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Message from Site-77 Director

Dear Dr. Da Costa,

Provisional Site-223.Ag will remain activated for the next few months. If the Gash Group actually produced this object, it's likely that further excavation will reveal other, perhaps more dangerous anomalies, and I would prefer that the Foundation is entirely in control of any potential discoveries. If you need anything, from a couple of archaeologists to an MTF, please consider it done.

Sincerest regards,

Dr. Shirley Gillespie

Director, Site-77