by Quicksilvers

ITEM №: SCP-7613
OBJ. CLASS: Anomalous
CONTAINMENT PROTOCOL: Instances of SCP-7613 are to be recorded and catalogued in order to ascertain information regarding their formation, effects, and causes. Employees are to be debriefed regarding the resonant traces and themes involved in SCP-7613 identification in order to facilitate more efficient reporting of instance manifestation.
Those who have encountered SCP-7613 are to refrain from engaging in habitual behaviors for a minimum of four weeks. Thought exercises are also highly encouraged, though the efficacy of such measures is unknown. Meditation is highly discouraged due to the nonzero probability that certain mindfulness techniques may instigate an SCP-7613 manifestation.
Repairs and renovations to Site-22 due to SCP-7613's influence are to continue indefinitely.
DESCRIPTION: SCP-7613 is a series of phenomenon regarding involuntary and repetitive circular motions or isolated circular imagery.
While the exact parameters of an SCP-7613 manifestation are currently unknown, various recurring criteria have been observed, consisting of but not limited to typically occurring in close relation to the Foundation,1 occurring within a place,2 and occurring to both animate and inanimate objects.3
Despite the following effects, the results, causes, and mechanisms behind SCP-7613 instances are currently being debated within the greater parascientific community:

fluctuating hume levels during and after manifesting
a persistent fugue state triggered via witnessing or engaging in a manifestation4

ADDENDUM: Discovered Instances

Instance Number
Instance Description

SCP-7613-1
First recorded instance (22 June 2019, re-assigned documentation 15 February 2022). Between 3 and 47 ant mills5 discovered throughout Site-22. Instances continued throughout the subsequent week before abating.

SCP-7613-2
Discovered 4 January 2020. Instance manifested as a malfunctioning of Site-22's air conditioning unit, specifically within rooms 12F-18 to 12F-20 (Physical File Storage). Instance discovered by junior research staff when accessing the room for data reconstruction. Staff reported a vortex with a significantly wide diameter consisting of loose sheets blown astray by the malfunctioning unit. Instance lasted until the air conditioner was fixed.

SCP-7613-3
Discovered 11 March 2020. The toilet in Breakroom 17-B's bathroom unit is flushed at 11:04 AM local time and continues flushing for 15+ hours with a continuous and constant flow of water. Analyzing Site-22's plumbing revealed no technical issues within the water and waste disposal systems. Instance ceased at 2:49 AM the following morning.

SCP-7613-4 & SCP-7613-5
Discovered 24 April 2020. Both instances coalesced in the sky above Site-22. SCP-7613-4 appeared as a large, near-perfect circular hole in the clouds that remained static over the main building over the course of a few hours (6:33 AM - 10:12 AM) before dissipating. Soon after (12:57 PM), SCP-7613-5 manifested as a large flock of Quiscalus quiscula6 perching on the rooftops of and flying in circular formations above the Site. SCP-7613-5 remained present over the course of the following three days.

SCP-7613-6
Occurred 8 May 2020, discovered 13 August 2020. Several staff members sit in various places within Site-22's cafeteria during the shift's main lunch break. Footage captured through security cameras reveals a rough outline of a circle in the center of the room (~6 m diameter), the "ring" consisting of ~7 to 9 Foundation employees. No individuals are seated within the empty space. Conducted interviews point to the anomaly having a possible subconscious influence on subjects.

SCP-7613-7
Discovered 29 July 2020. Senior Researcher Danielle Parsimmons begins pacing in a circle around her office during a period of stress when reviewing the quarter's containment reports (10:11 AM). Rs. Parsimmons engages in this cycle unbroken for ~4 hours, when a member of janitorial staff enters her office to inquire about new sterilizing equipment. The employee was able to disrupt Parsimmons' behavioral cycle via physical contact, where Parsimmons subsequently revealed that she had experienced missing time while under the influence of the anomaly. Following this, Ms. Parsimmons was granted temporary paid leave.

ADDENDUM 2: Transcription of SCP-7613-◎ Manifestation
Please be aware that the subsequent transcription was autogenerated during a test run of the Foundation's newest artificial construct, Rever.aic, created to analyze and catalog inconsequential anomalies as well as minor anomalous incidents occurring within operated bases. Due to insufficient repairs and bugfixes, Foundation staff have labelled the following documentation as unsupported and unreliable scientific data - its presence in this report remains only as posterity and is not recommended as a basis for study or expanded research.

<5:08 PM>

Assistant Rs. George Pachuta sits at a standard Foundation Office Terminal in Computer Lab 15. Digital records show he is reviewing several anomalies' files in preparation for an approaching lecture to his superiors.
As Rs. Pachuta continues writing notes and assessing his documents, several other staff members (approx. 15) suddenly and simultaneously stand up, facing straight ahead of themselves.
Rs. Pachuta is unaware of this as he continues his review. This is also true for all other employees present.
All standing employees gather to the open space of the room. Their expressions remain blank and they make little noise. A rough circle is formed.
All standing employees slowly begin to shuffle as all walk in a circle, counterclockwise. Their speed grows slowly until they all engage in a brisk walk before all breaking out into sprints. The backs of their labcoats flap and snap in the air like flags. Despite the effort and strain being displayed, all employees hold the same blank expressions as previously. None of them appear exhausted nor strained as all remain silent.
Hume levels within Site-22 experience a slow drop that quickly lowers further into near-exponential intensity.
It is the largest fluctuation of baseline reality ever recorded within the building, yet there are no alarms.
Not a single person reacts.
The circle of staff (hereafter referred to as SCP-7613-◎) begins unnaturally slowing down in speed - all instances continue sprinting as each of their localized temporal paths are equally deaccelerated, causing all instances to move in "slow-motion."
Rs. Pachuta completes his analysis, saving the data onto his SCiPSKYCloud Terminal before logging out of the computer and standing. He then views the SCP-7613-◎ instance in front of him. Pachuta attempts to call the attention of the others in the room to the anomaly, but his voice is unregisterable (though not silent). It is replaced with the echoing rising and crashing waves of a beach.
As others continue their work undisturbed, Rs. Pachuta slowly and hesitantly approaches SCP-7613-◎. He calls out to the affected, but his voice does not carry. It is replaced with the sound of rushing water.
The noise continues even after Pachuta closes his mouth as all within SCP-7613-◎ reach total temporal inertion - none of the subjects move whatsoever, some hovering mid-air as they were caught mid-stride.
A seagull is heard in the distance.

<5:23 PM>

SCP-7613-◎ begins moving once more. The ~15 individuals forming the anomaly remain unmoving and/or temporally suspended, yet the instance begins rotating clockwise.
Rs. Pachuta walks to a door on the far side of the room in an attempt to exit.
The door opens and a child pushes past him. She is eight years old and her hair has been gently pulled back into two ponytails and she looks exactly like his daughter. She is holding a jump rope in her hands and she spins the length of plastic around her as she blissfully skips and hops up and down the rows of terminals.
She laughs, and it rings out crisp against the muffled silence.
Rs. Pachuta exits the room.
As he steps into the hallway, the sound of a jump rope hitting the ground fades into the background hum.

<0:00 XX>

Rs. Pachuta is walking down a hallway in Site-22. Rs. Pachuta passes by many office doors but does not acknowledge them. The hallway is ever-so-slightly curved to the right.
Rs. Pachuta continues walking. The sound of seagulls and rushing waves is heard in the distance. Rs. Pachuta recognizes this and begins walking faster. He does not progress.
The left wall of the hallway ends. It reveals a massive atrium made of stacked, circular layers of open hallways, exposing their interiors. Rows of bookshelves, office cubicles, doors, and lockers can be viewed in various layers. The structure extends downwards an indeterminable distance, ending its vertical ascent with an ornate and faded stained glass skylight looming far above Rs. Pachuta.
Other individuals, all Foundation employees of Site-22, walk through these hallways clockwise at a constant speed. Their expressions are unbothered as they walk - some are seen upholding their duties; holding bundles of files, pushing carts of books, analyzing papers.
Rs. Pachuta attempts to find an exit. There are none as all the hallways consist of closed rings. The doors he finds do not lead to anything good. There are no staircases to help facilitate movement between layers.
Rs. Pachuta realizes there are other people in his ring with him, seeing a woman ~12m in front of him. Her back faces him as she continues walking the path. Rs. Pachuta quickens his pace to reach her, desperately calling out to her. There is only the sound of seagulls, and Rs. Pachuta does not progress.
George collapses to his knees. He is sobbing profusely, his heaving breaths quickly turning into choking sounds as he coughs up a small mass from his throat - a solid, matted wad of hair, about the size of a penny. It is roughly woven into a ring.
There's a deep, reverberating rumbling. It pushes through every aspect of George as he attempts to gather himself and raise his head. When he looks up, he notices movement between some of the hallways. In certain segments - where there should be nothing but empty gaps and painted walls - there is motion. It slips and repeats like a pattern until it vanishes, resurfacing in different, seemingly random gaps of the tower.
George focuses on it. It is familiar to him. It reminds him of the pets his father used to keep in his enormous terrariums, of how George used to stare as their scales through the glass for what felt like hours.
George understands now, and that revelation scares him.
The rumbling grows deafening. The segments of scales speed up, faster and faster.
Above him, something pushes - protrudes - out from between the hallways. It is scaled, diamond-shaped head larger than a car.
It stares down at him.
A tongue flickers out of its mouth. It can taste him.
Researcher George Pachuta hangs his head.
And then, it strikes.

<END LOG>

Though the exact nature of Assistant Researcher George Pachuta's current physical condition remains obscure to the greater parascientific community, further pursuance into both it and SCP-7613 has been deemed unnecessary in regards to current Site priorities.
As previously stated, repairs and renovations to Site-22's infrastructure, utilities, and overall layout are to continue indefinitely.

« SCP-7612 | SCP-7613 | SCP-7614 »

Footnotes
1. Typically within Foundation jurisdiction.
2. Both within an enclosed space and/or outside of it.
3. Also applying to sapient and non-sapient subjects.
4. Potential cognitohazardry still uncertain.
5. Biological phenomenon in which army ants lose their pheromone trail when moving in groups, causing the trail to loop back on itself in the ants' confusion. The ants will then continue walking in circles until, typically, they will perish.
6. Common grackle.