Left: Instance of SCP-4806 in ███████, Washington, USA (Incident 4806-282); Right: Close-up of SCP-4806-A in previous photo, entity circled in red

Item #: SCP-4806

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: Given its nature, SCP-4806 cannot be feasibly contained. Should an instance manifest in a major metropolitan area, local Emergency Broadcast Systems will be utilized to emit auditory — and, where possible, visual — subconscious aversion memetics (SAMs) to deter civilian observation of SCP-4806. Fatalities caused by SCP-4806 are to be officially labeled suicides and published as such in coroner’s reports. Direct witnesses to these deaths are to be administered Class-A amnestics, including any and all first responders. Social media and image sharing activity around manifestations should be monitored and interfered with as necessary to prevent a breach of secrecy.

Description: SCP-4806 are tower cranes that appear spontaneously at construction sites in metropolitan areas. As an instance has never been observed being assembled or transported, it is currently theorized that SCP-4806 manifest instantaneously—typically during the early morning. SCP-4806 also appear to manifest worldwide and at random, with instances recorded across 45 countries. Only one instance of SCP-4806 will manifest at a time, and time gaps between manifestations range from two days to five months. It is unclear if SCP-4806 instances are simply identical or if SCP-4806 is a single object manifesting in different locations, though all instances exhibit consistent —though not completely similar — properties.

In 70% of manifestations, SCP-4806 will remain at their locations for approximately 24 hours before spontaneously demanifesting. Instances carry a strong memetic effect; any individuals working at construction sites, when questioned about SCP-4806’s sudden appearance, appear confused and nonchalant, often stating that the object has been on-site for weeks. Other civilian witnesses also demonstrate apathy toward SCP-4806, even if the materialization occurs under their direct observation. Demanifestation will occur after all construction personnel have left the site or 24 hours have elapsed — whichever occurs last. After demanifestation, individuals will have no recollection of SCP-4806’s prior existence.

In approximately 30% of instances, however, a vaguely humanoid figure — designated SCP-4806-A — manifests at the tip of the crane’s jib1 during midday, typically around 1:30pm. When observing SCP-4806-A, onlookers will become convinced that the entity is a suicidal individual, and immediately begin displaying signs of distress. Because SCP-4806 appear in highly-populated areas, this effect is highly contagious, spreading through crowds rapidly as more and more people draw attention to SCP-4806-A. This spread has been confirmed to be non-anomalous.

After initial observation, any nearby individuals will inevitably attempt to access SCP-4806 in order to scale it and dissuade SCP-4806-A from suicide. This behavior is often highly aggressive, self-endangering, and frantic, and has included:

An individual assaulting a construction worker in an attempt to hijack another crane adjacent to SCP-4806 (Incident 4806-25).

An individual ramming his car through physical barriers and into an active construction site (Incident 4806-41).

A paraplegic individual exiting his wheelchair and attempting to scale a fence surrounding SCP-4806 (Incident 4806-97)

An infant “grasping” for the entrance to an SCP-4806-occupied site before wrestling out of her mother’s arms (Incident 4806-182)

A news helicopter attempting to land on SCP-4806 to “rescue” SCP-4806-A (Incident 4806-203)

Should an individual succeed in accessing SCP-4806 — either by breaching and ascending the tower ladder or using another object to enter SCP-4806 — they will inevitably position themselves at the end of the crane jib and attempt to make verbal and physical contact with SCP-4806-A. Though the jib can be elevated upwards of 60m in the air, affected individuals display no signs of vertigo, sometimes pacing back and forth or running across the top beams. They will often begin pleading with SCP-4806 in an unusually distressed manner or attempt to physically force it back from the tip.

When contact is made with SCP-4806-A, one of the following will occur:

If the individual stops within five meters of SCP-4806-A, SCP-4806 will instantaneously demanifest, sending any persons currently on SCP-4806 falling, typically resulting in death.

If the individual stops within one meter of SCP-4806-A, SCP-4806-A will extend an armlike appendage to the individual’s shoulder before vanishing. Any individuals currently positioned on SCP-4806 will then cease all vocalization and make their way to SCP-4806’s jib. Once all persons are positioned on the tip of the jib, they will synchroniously jump, at which point SCP-4806 will demanifest.

If the individual makes physical contact with SCP-4806-A, SCP-4806-A will extend an armlike appendage to the individual's shoulder. The individual's figure will begin flickering rapidly before vanishing for 3.5 seconds. During these 3.5 seconds, the individual's corpse will manifest on the ground directly below the tip of the crane jib. The condition of the corpses from past incidents suggest significant trauma consistent with high-velocity impact. Immediately after this span of time, the corpse will re-appear at the top of SCP-4806, slumped over the jib. SCP-4806-A will then vanish and the individual’s corpse will levitate to the entity’s prior position and take its place, at which point SCP-4806 and the corpse will demanifest.

Addendum 4806.1: Survivor Interview

Interviewed: Eileen Lawrence

Interviewer: Researcher Todd Macindoe

Foreword: During Incident 4806-249, Lawrence was scaling SCP-4806 in an attempt to reach SCP-4806-A when the object dematerialized. She struck several levels of scaffolding in her fall, and while her ribs and legs were badly damaged, Lawrence survived. After being treated at a nearby hospital, at which she underwent several panic attacks, she was briefly taken into Foundation custody for questioning. Lawrence was told that she had been placed under psychiatric monitoring during her stay and was administered Class C amnestic treatment prior to release.

<Begin Log: 18:00, 16 September 2009>

Macindoe: Ms. Lawrence, are you currently using any painkillers?

Lawrence: No, not right now — I took some pills last night, but none today. I just woke up, so the pain isn’t too bad.

Macindoe: Good to hear. [Jots down notes] How have things been since Monday?

Lawrence: [Pauses] I don’t know. [Chuckles] I’ve just been trying to wrap my head around things, I guess.

Macindoe: That’s understandable; now, I know this might be difficult for you, but I was hoping to get your side of what happened that day. [Gesticulates] Specifically… what made you climb the crane?

Lawrence: [Rubs face] Well, I was getting off lunch and saw a bunch of people crowding around a construction site at ██th and ██nd. And… when I went to investigate, I saw that they were all panicking — screaming that someone was on top of the crane and that they were going to jump —

Macindoe: I hate to interrupt, but I’d like to fast-forward a bit if you don’t mind. Security cameras show you breaking into the construction site along with about fifteen others — can you tell me why you did that?

Lawrence: [Pauses]

Macindoe: Ms. Lawrence?

Lawrence: I don’t know — I honestly don’t remember much before getting onto the crane.

Macindoe: I see. [Jots down notes] So, from there on, then, what exactly do you remember?

Lawrence: [Sighs] I know I’m crazy.

Macindoe: No one’s calling you crazy; we just want to know your side of things.

Lawrence: After getting on I just… blanked. The person or… whatever that was on top of the crane… [Pauses] they were different somehow — or maybe I was just seeing them from a different angle. Because it didn’t feel like just one person anymore — like they were an array of people all stacked into one body, going on and on and on but all standing still and compressed into one swollen… thing.

Macindoe: What compelled you to keep climbing?

Lawrence: I think that's when I realized just how high up I was. When I looked down, I saw the crane beneath me, but nothing else. The buildings and ground all faded into a colorless fog2. The metal around me just extended further and further until it just looked like a line3. But I wasn't afraid of falling. I felt kind of… like, claustrophobic, almost. I wasn't afraid, but I knew I couldn't stay there, and whoever was on top of the crane — they were it. Not my way to safety exactly, but at least my shortcut down. [Pauses] And that's when reality hit. Or, I guess, when I hit reality [Chuckles].

Macindoe: [Jots down notes] Before we conclude, Ms. Lawrence, I was hoping to ask you a broader question. Was there anything special about the crane that made you want to climb it? Or about the person on top that made you want to take such drastic measures?

[Lawrence’s face pales considerably and she appears to shake suddenly]

Lawrence: I don't think the crane was anything out-of-the-ordinary. That… whoever was up there, I think they're really what makes it all tick. They want you, and they'll will twist and bend you to get you to follow them up. I think they can bend the crane too — make it appear and disappear, stretch and… [Rubs eyes and shakes head] never mind — I think I'm still not quite thinking straight. All I can really give you is what I felt then. Once you're on that crane, there's only one way down, and it's the way everyone else has gone before.

Macindoe: Thank you, Ms. Lawrence — I think that's all I need from you. We'll leave you to your recovery.

<End Log: 18:05, 16 September 2009>

Closing Statement (Macindoe): Though I don’t doubt the subject’s belief in her own story, it does not seem we have much here to go from. Without a proper psychological background prior to the fall, it’s impossible to assess whether this story is indicative of SCP-4806’s effects or the subject’s mental state. My professional assessment, though callous it might sound, is that we’re going to need far more data before we can gain any further insight.

Footnotes

1. The long horizontal structure at the top of a tower crane used to haul various supplies, equipment, and materials during construction.

2. No fog was present in the area during Incident 4806-249.

3. Lawrence was estimated to only be 15 meters up SCP-4806 at the time of her fall, which would not allow for such a perspective illusion.