rating:+155+–x
Item#: 4936
Level4
Containment Class:
euclid
Secondary Class:
none
Risk Class:
caution
link to memo
SCP-4936 within Cancer; note bottom-rightmost star. (Hover to enlarge.)
SCP-4936 during its 2014 migration. (Hover to enlarge.)
Special Containment Procedures: Remote monitoring of Beta Cancri has been assigned to Joint Research Task Force Phi-4 ("Zodiac Hunters"), composed of members of the Foundation's Department of Essophysics and the Astronomical Phenomena Division. Extensive observation of SCP-4936 is to occur during the astronomical summer, until JRTF Phi-4 determines that SCP-4936 has migrated to Earth. JRTF Phi-4 will then approximate its destination on Earth within one kilometer of accuracy, using resources provided by the Department of Essophysics.
In order to protect SCP-4936, it will be remotely escorted by JRTF Phi-4 members until its departure to Cancer. Throughout the duration of SCP-4936's time on Earth, media-blackout protocols will be in effect to prevent discovery of Beta Cancri's disappearance.
Containment procedures for the mass extinction of crabs are presently being drafted and will be put into effect if SCP-4936 is neutralized.
Description: SCP-4936 is Beta Cancri, the brightest star in the zodiacal constellation of Cancer. SCP-4936 is theorized to be an essophysical anomaly embodying all decapodic crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura: colloquially, marine and terrestrial crabs. SCP-4936's essophysical properties constitute any significant injury, emotional trauma, or large-scale containment efforts imposed upon it affecting the global crab population in an analogous fashion.1
Although SCP-4936 usually presents as Beta Cancri, it is capable of altering its physical form, usually to take the appearance of a mundane crab. Attempts to communicate with SCP-4936 in any of its forms have been universally unsuccessful.
SCP-4936 engages in an annual migration pattern during the terrestrial summertime, to and from Earth. Beta Cancri will appear to "wink" and disappear, at which time a single crab will manifest in Earth's lower atmosphere and fall into an ocean near a continental coast.
All documented migration events have followed a similar process, recorded below.
- SCP-4936 emerges from the ocean onto a terrestrial beach as an ostensibly non-anomalous crab. It is usually not noticed by beachgoers at this time, barring one migration where it presented as a coconut crab (Birgus latro).
- SCP-4936 searches for a suitable nesting ground in the surrounding sand where it can bury its body. SCP-4936 gradually displaces the sand and settles into the deposit, using its claws to bury itself.
- Once SCP-4936 is completely buried, it sleeps until nighttime. If the beach experiences considerable precipitation, SCP-4936 may relocate to a different environment.
- When night falls, SCP-4936 will exit its nesting ground and explore the surrounding beach — this usually entails crossing local sand dunes and interacting with groups of non-anomalous crabs. At dawn, SCP-4936 will return to its nesting ground.
- This day-night cycle continues until the approximate end of the terrestrial summer. The migration event will terminate, and SCP-4936 will disappear, at which time Beta Cancri may be observed again.
Addendum.4936.1
INITIAL CONTACT
- REQUEST: URGENT
- Response Transcript
Request filed to the Overseer Council on 2012/06/19 by the Department of Essophysics.
STAY OF IMMEDIATE CONTAINMENT
The relevant specimen. (Hover to enlarge.)
FOREWORD: On 2012/06/19, the Astronomical Phenomena Division was unable to locate Beta Cancri within the constellation of Cancer. A selective media-blackout was immediately issued by the Overseer Council to disguise the star's disappearance.
Independently, the Department of Essophysics noted Strayer Radiation collating between Earth and the former location of Beta Cancri. Specialists extrapolated the path between the two celestial bodies to Navagio Beach, Greece, and discovered a single Atlantic marsh fiddler crab (Uca pugnax) which emitted non-hazardous amounts of cosmic and Strayer radiation.
The Council has responded to the Department's report with an unwarranted display of force, dispatching three animalian containment teams to Navagio within the hour. Our department has and will continue to deter their access to the specimen until the teams disperse.
REQUEST: Disperse the teams sent to contain the specimen. If the specimen is an essophysical anomaly as our department suspects, then the Foundation risks conceptually containing all living crabs — the exact result of which is unknown, but almost certainly unfavorable.
O5-3, please cease this. A star has disappeared, but your concerns right now are very much terrestrial.
Addendum.4936.2
OVERWATCH CONSENSUS
OVERSEER COUNCIL DELEGATIONS
Date: 2012/07/03
Preceding Deliberations: Three (3) hours.
Involved Parties: Thirteen (13) Overseer Council members, Three (3) Ethics Committee Liaisons, One (1) Department of Essophysics Representative
PREAMBLE
Foundation Directive Alpha-3 ("Protect") necessitates the preservation of life and/or reality in the event of an XK-Class Scenario. The hierarchy of concern guiding this directive designates the preservation of individual species on Earth as a Σ-level priority under Directive Alpha-3.
BODY OF PROPOSAL
In the event of an XK-Class scenario threatening reality and/or life at large, the Foundation will contain SCP-4936 in a modified extradimensional containment chamber and protect it from being harmed. This can only be accomplished if the following conditions are met:
- SCP-4936 has manifested on Earth in a containable form.
- The XK-Class scenario does not threaten extradimensional space.
- The XK-Class scenario is both foreseeable and irrevocable.
If all these conditions are met, the Foundation will satisfy the Σ-level priority of Directive Alpha-3 and protect SCP-4936's containment at all costs. In this way, even though all higher forms of life may be destroyed, all crab life will be preserved.
RESULTS OF DELEGATIONS
Due to authoring the discussed proposal, O5-3 has recused verself from voting.
| YEA | NAY | ABSTAIN |
|---|---|---|
| O5-1 | O5-9 | O5-2 |
| O5-4 | O5-6 | |
| O5-5 | ||
| O5-7 | ||
| O5-8 | ||
| O5-10 | ||
| O5-11 | ||
| O5-12 | ||
| O5-13 |
| STATUS |
|---|
| APPROVED |
AFTERWORD
The Department of Hypothetical Scenarios was established many decades ago to prepare for the end of humanity. However, the variety of life in our universe has caused our departmental objectives to be re-evaluated. There may come a time when humanity is stamped out — either by our own doing or that of an invading force — but it is not necessarily the case that all other forms of life will follow suit. It is therefore our duty to protect all other forms of life, if our own is to perish.
We will soon begin constructing SCP-4936's containment chamber in an isolated extradimensional space, filled with as much beach as it can desire. If its containment becomes necessary, it will be safe, happy, and above all else: alive. And so long as that remains the case, we can expect that crabs as a taxological group will be much the same.
It may just be that the last bastion of hope in this fatal universe is a tiny fiddler crab, hibernating on the beaches of Greece. And it is our duty as stewards of life to protect it.
— O5-3, Director of Hypothetical Scenarios
Addendum.4936.3
COMMUNICATIONS UPDATE
On 2018/09/0304:16 PM, JRTF Phi-4 detected a radio message emitting from SCP-4936 while it hibernated. Notably, the message was relayed in Morse code, similar to interstellar radio messages sent from Earth to deep space.
The final character was rendered "U+1F980", shorthand for a Unicode character.
+AccessSCP-4936Communication
SCP-4936 returned to Cancer immediately following its transmission.
Footnotes
1. E.g. Containing SCP-4936 is likely to render all living crabs "contained" either by the Foundation or by natural means; SCP-4936's neutralization would similarly neutralize all crabs.
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‡Licensing/Citation
