PeppersGhost

SCP-5031 - Yet Another Murder Monster by PeppersGhost

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Item #: SCP-5031

Object Class: Keter

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-5031 is to be contained in an airtight iron cell in Bio-Site 59. The structure must be inspected for imperfections on a bi-weekly basis. No other interaction necessary.

Description: SCP-5031 is a non-sapient quasi-humanoid creature of unknown origin. When directly observed, SCP-5031 will temporarily cease to exist until the viewer stops observing the space that SCP-5031 formerly occupied. Traces of its existence (e.g. scratch marks, blood trails) continue to exist when SCP-5031 does not. Video and photography devices do not capture SCP-5031's appearance; however, observing SCP-5031's shadow does not cause cessation of existence, allowing certain physiological traits to be inferred from its silhouette:

Abnormally small head with no discernible neck

Elbows branch into three sets of lower arms each

Elongated torso approximately 1.9 meters in length1

Pelvis terminates in a crescent-shaped protrusion of osseous tissue with a bladelike lower edge

Levitates above the ground at a fixed height of 0.5 meters

While SCP-5031 has no nutritional needs, it will nevertheless hunt and consume any human or animal it encounters by using its pendulous lower body to down targets. SCP-5031 does not sleep and is incapable of expression or verbal communication.

Addendum: As of 14/02/2018, Senior Researcher Stanley Huxtable is now acting in the role of HMCL Supervisor for SCP-5031. The following is a selection of relevant correspondences from SR Huxtable to Site Director Youssef Mostofi elucidating research progress.

14/02/2018

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

I have no idea who wrote this, but there's a lot I'd like to say to them. I'm not a fan of abandoning a living creature inside a metal box for ten years, no matter how pragmatic it may be.

It's difficult to fathom that such things were considered the norm a decade ago. Have you ever heard something scream from behind ten inches of iron for hours on end? When I do my redraft, remind me to add "anomalous resistance to hoarseness" somewhere in the description.

Could you work your magic and get the boys to retrofit the "containment cube" with an aperture and security vestibule? I'd like to run some tests that require exposing SCP-5031 to certain stimuli.

08/03/2018

ROUND 1 TESTS (SOUND) - SUMMARY

Foreword: Installed speakers in the containment vestibule and played various albums of natural ambiance and popular music. SCP-5031's propensity for screaming worked as a convenient way to measure its stress levels: 100% would be considered its typical screaming (volume and duration) over 48 hours and 0% would be no screaming at all.

Selection
Stress Level

Morning Forest Ambiance
43%

Seaside Paradise Ambiance
48%

Deep Grotto Ambiance
62%

The Best of Mozart
13%

The Best of Enya
18%

The Best of Ben Folds
6%

The Best of Jethro Tull
59%

The Best of KISS
23%

Afterword: Efficacy of music for stress reduction gradually decreases over time. I've assembled a playlist of SCP-5031's favorite music to play on shuffle in its enclosure in perpetuity. Stress levels consistently remain in the 15%-25% range. Baseline adjusted accordingly.

22/03/2018

ROUND 2 TESTS (PLAY) - SUMMARY

Foreword: Additional retrofitting was made to the containment chamber to facilitate observation, namely the integration of reinforced viewing windows arranged behind a scrim, onto which shadows may be projected by use of lamps placed along the opposite wall.

Test
Result

Tossed softball into enclosure.
SCP-5031 sliced the ball in two.

Tossed basketball into enclosure.
SCP-5031 sliced the ball open.

Rolled bowling ball into enclosure.
SCP-5031 scratched a couple of grooves into the ball, then rolled the ball around the enclosure with the blunt side of its tail for 20 minutes. Stress levels remained <60% after play.

Bowling ball chipped to the extent that it would no longer roll properly. (Unplanned.)
Stress levels increased to ~115%.

Replacement bowling ball provided.
Stress levels fell back to ~40%.

Rolled additional bowling ball into enclosure.
SCP-5031 used the blunt side of its tail to hit the two balls together for a while. Stress levels remained <40% after play.

Tossed basketball into enclosure.
SCP-5031 picked up and played with ball. Stress levels remained <20% after play.

Afterword: SCP-5031 appears to have learned to use its hands to play with the basketball in order to avoid accidentally damaging it. Motor skill comparable to that of a toddler. SCP-5031 still prefers bowling ball for "kicking".

05/04/2018

ROUND 3 TESTS (FOOD) - SUMMARY

Foreword: SCP-5031 was given the choice between two potential food sources placed at opposite ends of the enclosure.

Choices
Selection

Human corpse / Pig carcass
Pig carcass

Pig carcass / Chicken carcass
Pig carcass

Pig carcass / Rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken

Chicken carcass / Rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken

Live chicken / Rotisserie chicken
Rotisserie chicken

Roasted turkey / Rotisserie chicken
Neither (presumed sated)

Afterword: While it's true that SCP-5031 doesn't necessarily need to eat, feeding it regularly has caused a marked decrease in average stress levels. Stress reduction seems to scale proportionally with the quality of food provided.

Also of note is that SCP-5031 prefers to use its tail to pry and cut meat into bite-sized portions, rather than rip the meat into chunks with its teeth or hands.

12/04/2018

ROUND 4 TESTS (COEXISTENCE) - SUMMARY

Test 1: SCP-5031 fed until sated. Live subject (common chicken) introduced to enclosure.

Result: SCP-5031 observed subject from a distance for several minutes and then rolled a bowling ball toward subject at high speed. Subject was killed instantly. SCP-5031's stress levels rose immediately and drastically.

Test 2: Bowling balls removed from enclosure. SCP-5031 fed until sated. Live subject (common chicken) introduced to enclosure.

Result: SCP-5031 gently rolled a basketball toward subject. Ball hit subject lightly. Subject responded with a small cry and moved away. SCP-5031 did not engage with subject any further.

Test 3: SCP-5031 fed until sated. Live subject (Class-D) blindfolded, introduced to enclosure, and instructed to sit and roll basketball forward, then wait until it came back and roll it away again.

Result: Subject and SCP-5031 successfully rolled the ball back and forth for several minutes. SCP-5031 eventually abandoned the activity and approached subject. Per safety protocol, subject removed their blindfold to terminate the activity.

Test 4: SCP-5031 fed until sated. Live subject (Class-D) introduced to the enclosure and instructed to toss a tennis ball at the wall, let it ricochet behind them, then catch and repeat.

Result: SCP-5031 stood behind subject and successfully engaged in game of catch, mimicking subject's action of letting ball ricochet against the wall.

Afterword: SCP-5031's motor skills appear to be rapidly improving.

16/05/2018

ROUND 5 TESTS (SYMBOLS) - SUMMARY

Foreword: Five LCD displays were fitted into the wall of SCP-5031's enclosure, each with a lit button and a food dispenser underneath.

Test 1: Two stations activated. Screen 1 displayed the image of a rock. Its button dispensed rocks. Screen 2 displayed the image of a rotisserie chicken. Its button dispensed pieces of chicken.

Result: SCP-5031 poked at the image of a chicken for a few minutes and eventually hit the button. Chicken was dispensed until SCP-5031 was satisfied.

Test 2: Screen displays and the materials dispensed were swapped.

Result: SCP-5031 hit the button it had hit the previous day and received a rock. It then went to the other screen and hit the button to dispense chicken.

Test 3: Screen displays and materials dispensed were swapped back to their original positions and set to swap again at random intervals after first distribution.

Result: SCP-5031 went directly to the button next to the image of a chicken. Experienced apparent confusion after the first mid-distribution swap, but quickly learned to watch the images.

Test 4: Three more stations (screens, buttons, dispensers) were activated. Four stations displayed the word "ROCK" and dispensed rocks. One station displayed the word "CHICKEN" and dispensed chicken. Arrangement set to change randomly several times over the following days.

Result: Through trial and error, SCP-5031 determined which station dispensed chicken. SCP-5031 subsequently went to the station marked "CHICKEN" whenever displays were swapped.

Test 5: All stations deactivated except one. Screen displayed the word "CHICKEN". Seven wood blocks were set in front of the station, each marked with one of the letters in the word "CHICKEN". The station's button was set to remain unlit and inactive until the blocks were arranged in the correct order.

Result: SCP-5031 expressed apparent frustration, hitting the inactive button repeatedly and striking the wall with its tail.

Test 6: Same as previous test, but screen displayed the word "CHICKEN" with each letter overlaid on a photo of a wood block.

Result: After 12 minutes, SCP-5031 successfully assembled the word "CHICKEN".

Afterword: It can learn language, Youssef.

29/08/2018

ROUND 6 TESTS (VOCABULARY) - RESULTS

Foreword: SCP-5031 has learned to use letter blocks to form the following words:

Foods

CHICKEN
TURKEY
PORK

TOFU
BEEF
BREAD

MORE SALT
MORE PEPPER
MORE COOKED

Music

MOZART
ENYA
BEN FOLDS

FOREST
SEASIDE
WHITE NOISE

MORE VOLUME
LESS VOLUME
SILENCE

Play

BASKETBALL
BOWLING BALL
TENNIS BALL

CAT
DOG
HUMAN

ROBERT2
STANLEY
ALONE

Afterword: Through its increased vocabulary and human interaction, SCP-5031 has made the following progress:

Established food preferences and dish pairings

Learned to sing (nonverbally)

Learned to juggle (six-handed juggling is something to behold)

05/10/2018

ROUND 7 TESTS (ACTIVITIES) - SUMMARY

Test 1: Introduced table, paper, and crayons into the enclosure. Live subject (D-52125) instructed to demonstrate drawing for SCP-5031.

Result: SCP-5031 learned to draw. Discernible subjects depicted in its artworks include D-52125, SCP-5031, a rotisserie chicken, a cat, and myself.

Test 2: Introduced piano into the enclosure. Live subject (D-52125) instructed to play Chopsticks blindfolded and invite SCP-5031 to play along. Subject had time to practice beforehand.

Result: SCP-5031 learned Chopsticks in two days, though it appeared more interested in making its own original music (complete with vocals). These compositions might be considered crude by human standards.

Test 3: Introduced spice rack into the enclosure. Live subject (D-52125) instructed to demonstrate seasoning meats.

Result: SCP-5031 spent almost three straight days experimenting with different combinations of foods and spices. SCP-5031 assembled the words "MORE MORE MORE" with its letter blocks after running out of garlic powder.

Afterword: SCP-5031 only engages with art and music when accompanied by D-52125, but it continues to be preoccupied with food preparation even when alone.

04/01/2019

ROUND 8 TESTS (COOKING) - RESULTS

Foreword: Basic kitchen utilities installed in enclosure.3 Live subject (D-52125) instructed to demonstrate preparation of various recipes.

Recipes Learned

Quesadilla
Taco
Hamburger

Fried Rice
Mongolian Beef
Spicy Chicken Curry

Chocolate Chip

Cookies
Sponge Cake with

Buttercream
Fudge

Clam Chowder
Steak
Macaroons

Chicken Adobo
Smoked Salmon
Profiteroles

Afterword: SCP-5031 has a severe peanut allergy. This should be included in the revised containment procedures. I would also like to note that SCP-5031 is now a better chef than the average human, and it has begun to create its own recipes. D-52125 has volunteered to taste test.

30/06/2019

UPDATE

SCP-5031 has said its first word: "Salt".

We are all immensely proud.

29/11/2019

FINAL TEST - SUMMARY

SCP-5031 was given two months to develop a three-course meal to serve at the Bio-Site 59 cafeteria for personnel working over Thanksgiving. Its selections were as follows:

First Course
Sweet potato-turmeric miso soup.

Second Course
Duck confit with apple cider glaze and cranberry compote topping, paired with butternut squash gnocchi on a bed of kale seasoned with truffle salt.

Third Course
A slice of spiced cassava pie topped with french vanilla ice cream and a maple-hazelnut syrup.

SCP-5031 also debuted its original composition Piano Sonata For Six Hands in a live performance broadcast from its enclosure. Personnel response was overwhelmingly positive. SCP-5031 stress levels at 0%. Testing successfully concluded. Revised documentation submitted for approval.

Footnotes

1. Presumably for extra digestive capacity.

2. D-52125.

3. Sharp implements withheld per security protocol. SCP-5031 used its tail to cut food.