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SCP-3983: To Petition the Dead

Author: CadaverCommander

Item#: 3983

Containment Class: safe

Secondary Class: none

Disruption Class: dark

Risk Class: notice

Entrance to SCP-3983 central cavern. Note flash of light produced by SCP-3983-03 disappearance.

Special Containment Procedures: Due to its remote location, physical containment of SCP-3983 is unnecessary. Oceanic survey organizations will be monitored by Naval Task Force Sigma-58 “Bottomfeeders” for indication of any planned expeditions near SCP-3983's location.

Description: SCP-3983 is a cave, the entrance of which is approximately 10,800 meters below the surface of the southern Pacific Ocean, in the Horizon Deep of the Tonga Trench. SCP-3983 was initially discovered by the crew of a manned NOAA expedition. Administrative reports of its discovery were flagged by Foundation webcrawlers, whereupon amnestics were distributed to exposed individuals, and jurisdiction of SCP-3983 was transferred to the Foundation.

The cave entrance is a narrow crack in the trench wall roughly 2.5 meters wide at its widest point. Within, a passage extends into the rock, gradually angling upward at an average elevation of 12° for approximately 200 meters. At this point, the passage terminates, and enters an air-filled chamber roughly 75 meters wide.

At the center of this chamber is a dais, made of stone bricks, rising 1 meter from the ground and roughly 15 meters in diameter. The left and right walls of the chamber are decorated with complex high-relief sculptures, seemingly carved directly from the rock of the cave wall.

The left scene depicts a thin humanoid figure, draped in rags. Across this figure's shoulders is slung a large admiralty-pattern anchor, roughly as long as the figure is tall (≈3 meters), with angular flukes. The figure is slightly hunched, presumably due to the weight of the implement it bears. Its face is obscured by a hooded cowl. The area around this central figure is carved into simple swirling patterns, likely depicting the presence of wind or ocean waves. An as-yet undecipherable inscription in rongorongo glyphs is carved into the wall above the relief. This piece is designated SCP-3983-01.

The right scene is highly complex and detailed. It consists of an array of biological structures, however its specific form is difficult to determine. Distinct elements include tentacles, crustacean claws, insect legs, barnacles, coral, antlers, and what appear to be portions of the human skeleton, including spines, limbs, and skulls. These elements are presented apparently at random, and while there is a suggestion of a central mass of some kind, its specific makeup is unclear. An inscription in Akkadian cuneiform above the relief reads "SHE WHO BIRTHS AND DEVOURS ALL, WHO SOWS AND HARVESTS, WHO GRANTS SICKNESS AND HEALTH. SHE WHO IS WITHOUT REST." This piece is designated SCP-3983-02.

The rear wall of the chamber is obscured, due to the presence of a mound of human corpses, piled to the height of the ceiling (≈7 meters). These corpses exhibit varying degrees of decomposition; some show no outward signs of decay, others are essentially skeletal.

Once each day, at a time roughly coinciding with sunrise respective to the surface above the Horizon Deep, one corpse will spontaneously animate and extricate itself from the pile, whereupon it is designated SCP-3983-03. This occasionally takes a significant amount of time, dependent upon the location of the corpse within the pile. Once separate from the pile, the corpse will stand, and ascend the steps to the stone dais to stand in the center. If the SCP-3983-03 instance does not have functioning legs, it will crawl and attain as upright a posture as possible.

Once in the center of the dais, the corpse will speak. The content of this speech is always intelligible, even if the corpse in question possesses no vocal cords or tongue.

Upon the completion of its statement, the corpse will vanish, whereupon one of the two sculptures will exhibit a physical reaction. Foundation autonomous naval observation drone (ANOD) 06 captured several instances of this event; example transcripts follow.

Date
Description of Subject
Content of Speech
Results

04 April, 2010
Overweight female, significant putrefaction evident. Scarring present on subject's abdomen and upper extremities.
“All my life, I worked hard. I never stopped working. I let myself be fucked by a bastard, and I bore his children. And I loved them. I loved them and I raised them the best I could, but I didn't have any help. And it weighed. I lost my way. In the end, I didn't love them enough, didn't try hard enough. And I fell trying to seek relief. I failed. And I won't do it again. I choose to make use of myself. I accept the burden.”
Subject vanishes, producing a flash of blue light. A significant amount of condensation gathers on SCP-3983-01's surface, and runs to the chamber floor in rivulets.

13 May, 2010
Tall, thin male. Little evidence of decomposition save for a paleness of the skin.
“I did not choose my vocation to squander my own existence. My allegiance is to life, and its perpetuation. I have sewn flesh, set bones, and cured ailments. I am not prepared to allow us to fall into stagnation. We have to be strong, and healthy, even if that means we have to accept terrible changes. I am not a coward, and I will not submit. I choose to fight forever. I will never rest.”
Subject vanishes, producing a flash of green light. Vines superficially resembling Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) sprout from SCP-3983-02's surface, then rapidly decompose and crumble.

08 July, 2010
Tall, broad-shouldered male. Mild decomposition. Multiple tattoos across upper arms and chest.
“Fuck that. I never let anyone walk on me, ever. I'm not getting brought into another stupid fucker gang of pussies just out to make trouble for everyone else. I had my fun. It's time for me to do the right thing for once, like my mama wanted. Not wasting this shot. Not this time. I'm the strongest bastard ever born, and you're gonna love me. Get ready, bitches. Manny Marquez accepts the burden.”
Subject vanishes, producing a flash of blue light accompanied by a sound similar to the cry of the king vulture (Sarcoramphus papa). SCP-3983-01's posture changes slightly, adjusting its anchor to stand more upright.

02 June, 2010
Short female, specific characteristics difficult to determine due to advanced decomposition. Subject estimated to have been dead no less than one year.
“I was never anything. I only knew pain and hatred. I want a chance. I will give back what was given to me. I will never rest.”
Subject vanishes, producing a flash of green light. Blood manifests and collects across SCP-3983-02's surface, gradually congealing and drying.

17 July, 2010
Small skeleton, presumed to be the remains of a child aged 5-6.
None. Subject stands in the center of the dais and emits no sound, holding its arms close to its ribcage and shivering.
First instance of overt animation from SCP-3983-01 and SCP-3983-02. SCP-3983-02 extends a tentacle toward subject. SCP-3983-01 quickly dislodges from its recess, and advances upon the dais. SCP-3983-01 swings its anchor into SCP-3983-02's tentacle, shattering it into pieces. A roaring sound approximately 140 dB in volume is heard, rattling the chamber and causing ANOD-06's microphones to temporarily cut out. SCP-3983-01 stands between subject and SCP-3983-02, slamming its anchor head-down upon the surface of the platform. No activity for 46 seconds, whereupon subject vanishes, producing a flash of blue light. SCP-3983-01 raises an arm and points at SCP-3983-02 for a short period of time, before shouldering its weapon and placing itself back into its recess, in identical configuration as before.

27 November, 2010
Short male, advanced decomposition. Significant damage evident, including lacerations upon its abdomen and limbs and multiple broken ribs.
“I will make my own way.”
See Incident Report 3983-01.

+Incident Report 3983-01

- Close

Transcript of camera feed captured by ANOD-06 during SCP-3983-03 event dated 27 November 2010.

SCP-3983-03: I will make my own way.

(A region of space upon the dais approximately 1 meter behind SCP-3983-03 erupts in an explosion, which generates a significant amount of light, heat, sound, and smoke. From this emerges a figure, tentatively designated SCP-3983-04. Figure is an indistinct, shadowy humanoid adopting the rough shape of a large, overweight human male wearing a billed hat. SCP-3983-04 constantly emits an amount of dense black smoke from its body, and dull orange lights can be seen in locations corresponding to its eyes and mouth. SCP-3983-04 puts an arm around SCP-3983-03's shoulders.)

SCP-3983-04: Hot damn! I know that's right, little buddy! I hear ya, loud and clear!

(SCP-3983-04 moves around to SCP-3983-03's front, kneels to its eye level, and places its hands on SCP-3983-03's shoulders.)

SCP-3983-04: Loud and clear, partner. You don't want any a' this shit. Complicated. You wanna get the hell back on that open road and let the throttle out wide. You wanna hear the thunder of your own engine. You ain't got no quit in ya! That right?

(SCP-3983-03 nods. SCP-3983-04 snorts and removes what appears to be the silhouette of a cigar from its mouth, issuing a gout of smoke.)

SCP-3983-04: Yer goddamn tootin'! Who wants to posse up with these drippy bastards anyhow? One of 'em's a damn sadsack and the other's just a big ol' creepy-crawly askin' for a rolled-up newspaper! Who the hell needs 'em! You wanna ride? You wanna feel the heat? Move under yer own steam? You ready to tear up the road and fly apart with me?

(SCP-3983-03 nods.)

SCP-3983-04: Hell! Fuckin'! Yes! You and me, partner! We're gonna eat asphalt and shit glory! We'll show these sons-a-bitches what it means to be free! Let's ride! YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA-

(SCP-3983-04 explodes. Neither SCP-3983-04 nor SCP-3983-03 can be seen upon the smoke's dissipation.)

Investigation is currently underway to determine the significance of these events. A sortie to establish meaningful contact with SCP-3899 has been initiated to determine the extent of its involvement.

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