 Item number SCP-2578 Object Class Keter Special Containment Procedures Global email networks are to be monitored by the Foundation for indicators of SCP-2578A. If the counter on a confirmed instance of SCP-2578A reaches 24, a response team from MTF-Iota-10, damn feds, it is to be dispatched to the location of the corresponding instance of SCP-2578B in no more than 10 hours. Over the last two hours, the team will monitor the situation and await further instructions. In addition, the response team will escort one D-Class Foundation employee scheduled for termination, the scapegoat for the purposes of contingency 12 Azazel, along with ampules of low-grade hypnestics. In the case of an in-progress and paler event, the response team is to carry out contingency 12 Azazel as soon as possible. CONTINGENCY 12 AZAZEL 1. Through the use of hypnestics, the response team will implant the scapegoat with artificial memories of assassinating SCP-2578B. 2. The scapegoat will be handed over to the law enforcement authorities of SCP-2578B's government. In the case of an aborted and paler event, the instance of SCP-2578B is to be detained and released after amnestic therapy. Due to the potential for civilians to communicate with SCP-2578D, instances of SCP-2578C are to be excised from global email servers upon detection. At this time, due to its location and destructive potential, containment efforts of SCP-2578D will focus on non-intervention and repeated attempts to negotiate. DESCRIPTION SCP-2578 is the collective designation for a series of phenomena related to the deaths of at least 100 ████ human subjects since 1995. Prior to death, all victims referred to as individual instances of SCP-2578B shared the following characteristics. SCP-2578B was a political figure, or was due to hold office at a future date. SCP-2578B intended to engage in all the following political activities at a future date, and had the adequate military, financial, and political resources to do so. Estimate Cleansing The Establishment, Continuation, or Reinstatement of Government-Sponsored Slavery and or Child Labor, The Violence Suppression of Peaceful Protest and or Descent, War Crimes Against Foreign Powers, The Establishment of Absolute Control of the National Press, Media, and Religion. SCP-2578B was relatively unopposed in his views by his constituents, and dissent or rebellion was curved in such a way that, had the subject not died, all of its plans could have been successfully implemented. 72 hours prior to its death, the instance SCP-2578B will receive a message, SCP-2578A, on its primary personal email client. The sender will only be identified by a set symbol, shared with all instances of SCP-2578A. The symbol appears to be three crescent shapes next to each other. The contents of SCP-2578A is consistent throughout all instances. 6. Semper Tyrannus Latin, thus always the tyrant, state motto of Virginia, also notable for its use in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Subjects Latitude and Longitude A number, which is 144 in the first message. I never miss my mark, abdicate and you will live. This part of the message is then repeated in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog. After 30 minutes, the message will be re-sent to SCP-2578B, but the value of the second number will decrease by 1. Once the number reaches zero, an impaler event will occur 72 hours after the initial SCP-2578A. The corresponding SCP-2578B can stop the countdown in a variety of ways, including, resignation of their post, rescinding any pending orders that correspond with the aforementioned political activities, surrender to a war crimes tribunal or a resistance movement, and or suicide. Impaler events are characterized by the sudden appearance of a borehole in the targeted instance of SCP-2578B, which usually begins at the top of the head and ends at the groin, though alternative locations such as with SCP-2578B-429 have been noted. Though these incidents bear evidence of a high-powered gunshot, no bullets have been recovered from these events, and the holes will appear even when the instance is on an airplane, underground, or in a building, with no damage to the surrounding area. SCP-2578C refers to a set of emails sent to various politicians, civilians, and other human subjects at their successful or aborted impaler event. The content varies and can be personalized, but will usually include a declaration of victory and or words of encouragement, such as this message sent to a stenagogue scheduled to be bombed after the election of SCP-2578B-429. Three Crescent Symbols Is Victorious Yoan Lepescu successfully terminated May 12, 2009 Aim it due for services rendered Abandon your fears of tyranny Know that Three Crescent Symbol will always watch over you Three Crescent Symbol will always protect you And Three Crescent Symbol will always love you This part of the message is present in some capacity in all instances of SCP-2578C The entire content of this message is then repeated in Spanish, French, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Tagalog. SCP-2578D is a metallic spacecraft approximately three meters in length. It has been identified as the source of all impaler events in SCP-2578C and SEED Whether SCP-2578D is a manned or unmanned spacecraft is unknown at this time. The origin of SCP-2578D is unknown, but its design has been noted as similar to that of a horseshoe crab. This is believed to be an aesthetic design choice rather than a serve of definite purpose. These painted decals of the triple crescent symbol associated with SCP-2578A and SEED have been identified on its side from satellite photography. The tail of SCP-2578D can be positioned from three points of articulation. The tip of the tail contains what appears to be a projectile weapon system used to carry out impaler events. The mechanism behind this weapon is not currently understood. In addition to this weapon, it also contains an unknown amount of surface-mounted energy projection devices. See Incident 2578-1427 for more information. The location of SCP-2578D varies as needed to carry out its objectives and avoid detection, but it will rarely descend lower than 4,000 km above the Earth's surface. The propulsion mechanism of SCP-2578D is unknown. Addendum excerpt from the log of recorded SCP-2578B instances. Designation Name Title Impaler event Notes SCP-2578-B-013 President of the Republic of Srpska Occurred April 19, 1996 Note from Dr. Nysmith As of July 21, 2008, the current procedures are to take president over all former containment procedures. I'm sorry, framing D-Class for killing politicians isn't pretty, but our alternative medicine guru cover-up after SCP-2578 caused the disappearance of Karajik wasn't just unethical. It was silly. SCP-2578-B-326 Mohammed bin Salman Deputy Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Aborted For a detailed list of the 230 Aborted Impaler Events so far in Saudi Arabia, please refer to Document 2578-K SCP-2578-B-429 Yeun Lepescu President-Elect of Romania Occurred May 12, 2009 The borehole was discovered through Mr. Lepescu's chest. Eyewitness accounts claimed that approximately five minutes before the Impaler event, Mr. Lepescu grew increasingly agitated for unknown reasons and insisted on letting his four-year-old daughter ride on his shoulders. Incident 2578-1427 On April 19, 2016, after the Aborted Impaler Event of SCP-2578-B-832, the Foundation used to computer terminals that received several instances of SCP-2578-C in China that triangulate the origin of the messages, leading to the discovery of SCP-2578-D. Email contact was established with SCP-2578-D by the Foundation shortly thereafter, requesting information about its origins. In return, SCP-2578-D sent the following. Very interesting. With regrets, I must ignore these irrelevant questions completely, and thank you immensely for the indirect access to your database, which was very informative about the impasse I have reached in North Korea. For a while, it felt as if I were talking to a wall in the back and forth with Kim Jong-un, but a bronze steely is close enough. It seems a more direct approach is needed for liberation. With love, triple crescent symbol. Two hours after the above message was received by O5 command, SCP-1427 was declared neutralized. Research into use of SCP-2578 as a means of neutralizing difficult to contain SCP objects or SCP objects of political origin is pending O5 approval. Incident 2578-1427 Timeline 1715 Containment staff of SCP-1427 terminated in a simultaneous and paler event without warning. Emails of apology sent to the containment staff's families from SCP-2578-D. 1729 SCP-2578-D sighted in the stratosphere over Pyongyang, descending rapidly from high Earth orbit. 1731 SCP-2578-D infiltrates the containment area of SCP-1427 and begins direct bombardment with projected energy weapons on the ends of its tendrils. 1732 1427 sustains heavy damage and snaps in too. SCP-2578-D begins to retreat, apparently leaving the steely neutralized. 1734 As an apparent defense mechanism, SCP-1427 begins to exhibit higher than usual outputs of electromagnetic energy, causing irreversible psychological damage to all those who were previously under its control. 1736 SCP-2578-D returns, latches onto both halves of SCP-1427 and rapidly ascends into the high Earth orbit. 1753 The two halves of SCP-1427 are seen by a Foundation satellite, drifting in the direction of the Sun. At 2012, Dr. Nysmith received a following message from SCP-2578-D. 3. Crescent symbol is victorious. Regrettably, I could not stop this steely from delivering its cowardly parting shot towards its slaves. Even so, their current plight is better than life as it had been only a day prior. I thank you for your assistance, friend. Also, I have sustained heavy external damage from expending this much energy in a short period of time, so if any tyrants come up while I am in auto-repair for the next week, I'm afraid they'll have to wait a bit longer.