Item #: SCP-6457

Object Class: Safe (Pending Reclassification to Euclid)

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Special Containment Procedures: Personnel assigned to SCP-6457 must pass the Foundation Getty-Meyer psychological test for general dissatisfaction with a score of 160 or below. If personnel begin to exhibit signs of unusual aesthetic attraction to SCP-6457 they must be transferred immediately to a different site.

Special Containment Procedures: The area affected by SCP-6457, as well as an additional radius of 2000 meters, is to be fenced off and entry is to be denied by undercover Foundation personnel in local police uniform. The anomalous weather in the affected area is to be dismissed as a rare meteorological effect resulting from a higher than average volume of sea spray in the area. Personnel are, without express permission from at least three (3) on-site level 3 Personnel, not allowed to enter the anomalous area, no matter the level of personal protective gear being worn.

Description: SCP-6457 is the designation of a circular area, with a radius of approximately 500 meters, located north of the city of Arcata, in northern California. The location is a cliff's point, overlooking the sea below. Plant life in the area seems to be thriving, though animal life has not been detected. The anomalous effect of SCP-6457 manifests continuously as a permanent rain over the area. The rate of precipitation will change, varying from a slight drizzle to a strong downpour, often at random.

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In addition to its described properties, SCP-6457 possesses an anomalous ability to influence those who remain in close proximity to the anomaly. This effect manifests slowly, over the course of approximately 1 to 2 years, but can manifest much faster in those with high levels of personal discontentment. This influence results in subjects spending more time on the site border, until eventually they will walk into the center of the anomaly with no protective gear. Subjects who reach this stage of influence invariably perish as a result of the anomalous effects.

The rain itself has the anomalous property of dissolving any foreign matter introduced to the environment, as well as reforming any matter removed. Any foreign matter introduced into the 500m radius will appear to "melt" in the rain.

If any matter is removed from its current position inside the anomalous area, it will reform where it was originally, appearing to be reconstituted via rainwater. For example, if one was to pick up a rock from the edge of the anomaly, the rock would dissolve into an equivalent volume of water. Rainwater then introduced to the ground in a nearby location will animate and recreate the moved rock. Though the rock would appear to be created out of water, it maintains the properties of its base silica material. The water produced appears to be non-anomalous. Investigations on using this property for on-site water generation are pending, due to Incident 6457-1.

SCP-6457, pictured above, during a period of low activity.

The anomalous area is centered on SCP-6457-A, a human corpse. The corpse possesses injuries typical of blunt force trauma to the head and chest, as well as drowning. As well, signs of initial breakdown stage decomposition are seen on the corpse. Due to the anomalous influence of the rain, the actual exposure time of the corpse cannot be determined, as the anomaly prevents further decay. However, due to this property, it can be determined that the anomaly appeared approximately 12 hours after death.

SCP-6457 was first discovered after the disappearance of two teenagers who frequented the area around SCP-6457. Due to their excursions often taking place around the area, it can be assumed that the formation of SCP-6457 took place a day or two before April 2, 2002, the date of their disappearance. After local police failed to find the teenagers, Foundation agents embedded in the city government managed to discover the anomalous location.

Personnel stationed to oversee SCP-6457 often report the location as "strikingly beautiful", and almost universally attempt to extend their assignments to the anomaly. This is seen most prominently in agents who exhibit traits of personal dissatisfaction, as designated by the Foundation Getty-Meyer test.

Incident 6457-1:

VIDEO LOG

DATE: 11/23/2003

NOTE: Recorded via backup cameras in the containment radius of SCP-6457.

[BEGIN LOG]

22:06: Junior researcher Thomas Baker is seen on the outer perimeter of the containment fence. He appears to be out for a night walk.

22:17: After 11 minutes of pacing, Baker removes wire cutters from his coat, and cuts the barbed wire fence of the outer containment perimeter. Site security at this point was undergoing a system reboot, and as such security was not alerted of this incident.

23:09: Baker arrives at the inner containment perimeter. He sits at the outer edge for some time. Facial expressions and posture indicate deep thought.

23:19: Baker breaches the inner containment fence, and begins to walk into SCP-6457, which at this point is a moderately intense coastal storm.

Baker proceeds approximately 25 meters before being rendered immobile and is dissolved by the anomalous effects of the storm.

No expressions of pain or discomfort were recorded during this time.

[END LOG]

After this incident, site security was improved, and an investigation into the potential memetic hazard was launched.

Results have indicated a latent memetic effect associated with exposure to SCP-6457, which at this time is cause for an attempted reclassification to Euclid class.

Addendum 1:

Excerpt from On Noospheric SCP Objects (2006) by Dr. V. Eckhart

This trend established with most noospheric SCP objects in terms of their inception holds true in the case of SCP-6457. One cannot be certain, but the majority of evidence points to the conclusion that the death of SCP-6457-A caused a "noospheric overflow" (an event in which the noospheric energy density creates a sort of "sink" for noospheric energy, not unlike the functional principle of a black hole), in turn resulting in the creation of the area of SCP-6457. The inciting incident creates a link with the human noospheric concept of discontent (the concept which created the noospheric overflow). As such, a strong source of this noospheric concept creates a memetic link between the object and the source of the concept, in this case being the center of SCP-6457. Unfortunately for the source, this results in a drive to enter the anomaly, again similar to a black hole, resulting in termination of the source.

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Addendum 2:

SCP-6457-A has, using cross-referencing techniques on data pooled from the missing persons population of Arcata, California, been identified as Jackson Mullins. Mullins was identified as missing April 1, 2002, after attempts to contact him after an unexplained absence from his home failed. In the months leading up to his absence, Mullins was noted as having exhibited signs of a major depressive disorder. Research into the inciting factors of this incident is ongoing.