A shelter created by instances of SCP-3800-1.

Item #: SCP-3800

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-3800 is contained at Site-93, located near the Eurasian Pole of Inaccessibility in Xinjiang, China. It is to be kept in a standard containment locker.

Currently, a colony of SCP-3800-11 is contained on a previously uninhabited archipelago (designated Outpost 3800, see Addendum) located at 26.412° S, 88.603° E. Hidden cameras have been installed at various locations on the Outpost to monitor and study the colony's activity. Currently, roughly 34% (4.5 kilometers) of the Outpost's landmass is covered in SCP-3800-1 structures. The colonization of Outpost 3800 is not expected to increase the range of SCP-3800 to dangerous levels. Testing held at Outpost 3800 of any kind must be approved by two Level 4 personnel. Additional SCP-3800-1 instances that manifest for any reason are to be tranquilized and transported to Outpost 3800.

Emergency protocols to transport SCP-3800 to Lunar Outpost 45 have been arranged, and will be enacted should SCP-3800's radius grow past 2500 km.

Description: SCP-3800 is an oil & acrylic print of Shaun Tan2's "They Came By Water" set in a wooden frame. It appears to be an original print; the title, artist signature, and identification number (283/500) are all present at the bottom of the print.

SCP-3800's anomalous effect manifests when it is located within roughly 100 800 kilometers of any coastline, seashore, or ocean. Should this occur, instances of SCP-3800-1 will emerge from the ocean at an hourly rate of 5 to 20 instances per kilometer of coastline encompassed by SCP-3800's radius.

Instances of SCP-3800-1 appear to be Caucasian humanoids with several physical abnormalities. Most notably, instances lack mouths3, nostrils, genitalia, mammaries, anuses, and body hair. Additionally, all instances share traits of dwarfism and show little signs of higher intelligence. They possess no form of written or spoken communication, and lack any sort of religion, trade system, or hierarchy. Following initial manifestation, instances will walk to shore and begin establishing a colony.

When in a group4, instances of SCP-3800-1 will attempt to establish a series of structures away from humans, aggressive fauna, or inhospitable areas. Specifically, instances will attempt to build shelters out of available materials5 and begin farming any available flora6. SCP-3800-1 instances will become agitated and hostile if impeded from creating these structures, or if they are destroyed. Additionally, instances have shown the ability to craft and utilize rudimentary tools such as clubs, axes, and digging sticks out of stone, wood, and grasses, but appear to be unable to create or use more advanced technology.

Once instances of SCP-3800-1 have established their initial colony, they continue to expand it, building additional farms and shelters further out from their original settlement point7. Instances almost never engage in activity that does not benefit their colony, and usually spend their time gathering materials, building structures, or tending to farms. As the colony's population grows, instances show a progressively greater ability8 to clear obstacles preventing them from expanding their territory, such as thick flora, animal territories, and man-made structures. However, SCP-3800-1 has never attempted to cross bodies of seawater (following their initial manifestation) and appear unable to do so.

For each square km of land that SCP-3800-1 incorporates into their territory, SCP-3800's radius of effect increases by roughly 5 km. This radius also increases by 5 km per day whenever no active SCP-3800-1 colonies exist. Due to continental constraints, a radius past 2645 km9 would result in an exponential increase in SCP-3800's range and uncontrolled SCP-3800-1 manifestations thereafter, leading to a possible RK-Class restructuring scenario or NK-Class end of the world scenario should it be left on Earth.

Initial Discovery: SCP-3800 was initially discovered on 2/3/11 following a 112 call from Useless Loop, Western Australia with reports of "strange men building houses in the middle of the road". Once an anomaly was confirmed in the area, Mobile Task Force Sigma-16 ("Dusty's Goons") were tasked with investigation, containment, and cleanup of the area.

Initial contact with SCP-3800-1 was made on the same day, with structures created by the instances present for roughly 4 km along the eastern coast of Carrarang. Once cleanup of the structures began, SCP-3800-1 instances became hostile and attempted to attack MTF personnel, though not causing any serious injuries. All instances (and those that manifested thereafter) were tranquilized and transported to Site-23 for containment.

While MTF-Σ-16 was stationed in the area, SCP-3800-110's radius of manifestation grew large enough to encompass much of the western Carrarang coast as well. A second colony manifested there and expanded unobserved for over 16 hours due to the small population density in the area. By the time this colony was discovered, the instances' manifestation radius had grown rapidly. Following this event, additional forces were called to aid in containment.

SCP-3800-1 continued to manifest off the coast of Western Australia for roughly two weeks. During this time, SCP-3800's radius had grown to encompass the entirety of Carrarang's coastline, along with portions of Nanga, Dirk Harthog Island, and Francois Peron National Park. Due to the increasing radius of manifestation, emergency containment procedures were devised for the evacuation of Perth and other Western Australian cities, along with a complete quarantine of the Western Australian coast.

On 15/3/11, SCP-3800 was discovered in an SCP-3800-1 shelter in northern Tamala and brought inland to Site-23, ceasing SCP-3800-1's manifestation. Due to inconsistencies between SCP-3800-1's initial manifestation location and SCP-3800's recovery location, it was determined that SCP-3800 had been moved at least once, likely by an instance of SCP-3800-1. Additionally, the structure in which SCP-3800 was located also contained a number of unusual11 items (see Addendum 2).

The remaining SCP-3800-1 structures were destroyed soon after. Total losses numbered at $████ in damage, ██ injured civilians, and █ casualties. Amnestics were administered to ███ individuals. All captured SCP-3800-1 instances12 were placed under medically induced comas and contained at Site-23.

Addendum: Roughly 5 months following initial containment, several instances of SCP-3800-1 manifested off the Great Australian Bight. Following containment (and subsequent remanifestation) of the instances, it was determined that SCP-3800's radius of effect had increased from an approximate 100 km to a minimum 800 km.

It was hypothesized that SCP-3800's effect radius increases whenever no active SCP-3800-1 colonies exist. This was proven following multiple tests of SCP-3800-1 manifestation. All newly manifested instances13 (along with the instances contained in Site-23) were transported to what would become Outpost 3800 and awakened from their comas. Following the creation of Outpost 3800, SCP-3800 was transported to its current location at Site-93 using the SCPS Kristov14.

Addendum 2 (Recovered Materials): Additional objects were found in the shelter where SCP-3800 was initially discovered. However, SCP-3800 was the only object that showed any anomalous capabilities. These items included one incomplete ocean navigation chart, one handwritten note, and one nonfunctional compass. All three items were dated to the late 1500s.

The note appeared to be a ripped out diary page, and is written in Portuguese. Most of the note has been water damaged and is illegible. It is as follows, translated into English:

+ Show note.

- Hide note.

Day 133

It was a mistake to come here, for these lands are already inhabited. Their cities go on for as far as the eye can see… The rest of the crew entered a day ago, and only Tomas has returned to the ship. At least, it feels like Tomas.

He said that the natives intend to "send a message to the children" and asked me to come with him. Said I could either join the crew or die with the ship. I told him to give me a day to decide, and he returned to the city. I believe my decision is made.

Even now, I see them preparing their ships across the horizon. I must act now. The captain brought a sample from last year's outbreak, just in case. It won't survive long outside the ship unless I take it upon myself to bring it into the city. I see no other option - we were doomed once we reached the shore.

I will bury my personal effects here, and should [illegible for the remainder of the note]

Footnotes

1. Comprised of instances that manifested during the anomaly's discovery along with those that manifested during the events of Addendum 1.

2. An author/illustrator hailing from Perth, Australia.

3. Instances appear to not require sustenance, and are incapable of respiration.

4. Individual instances that are unwillingly separated from their colony will attempt to return to any other SCP-3800-1 instances, and will become increasingly panicked when impeded.

5. Shelters differ greatly between colonies but are most often constructed of mud or timber.

6. As instances do not require sustenance, the reason for this is unknown. Crops are often tended to, but have never been observed to be harvested or consumed by SCP-3800-1 instances.

7. Regardless of whether or not the colony's population is an adequate size to inhabit the amount of structures present.

8. Usually through strength in numbers. SCP-3800-1 instances have shown above average teamwork capabilities when in large groups, despite their lack of direct communication.

9. The distance between the Eurasian Pole of Inaccessibility and the nearest coastline.

10. SCP-3800 was unknown to exist at the time.

11. Instances of SCP-3800-1 do not typically possess personal effects other than tools constructed by the entities.

12. 4403 in total

13. 215 in total

14. A Mark IV Foundation shuttle, used in the place of a standard transport plane to ensure no accidental SCP-3800-1 manifestation occurred while passing over Southeast Asia