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rating: +1
Credits
article: SCP-053-DE - The Mist Ship.
Original-Autor: Dr Ore Dr Ore
Original: http://scp-wiki-de.wikidot.com/scp-053-de
Translator: Dr Ch_M Dr Ch_M
Image: 800px-Tirpitz-2.jpg
Image author: Unknown
Image source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Tirpitz-2.jpg
Image license: Public Domain
Item#: SCP-053-DE
Object Class: Keter
SCP-053-DE before its conversion into an anomalous object.
Special Containment Procedures: The position and course of SCP-053-DE must be monitored via satellite at all times. A wide-ranging and comprehensive navigation ban must be enforced in waters where SCP-053-DE is present, including for Foundation vessels. Any seafaring vessel that SCP-053-DE approaches must be immediately instructed via radio—under the guise of an authorized institution—to move as far as possible into the nearest waters with a maximum depth of 20 meters or steer toward the nearest coast within a distance of 15 kilometers. Survivors of an attack by SCP-053-DE must be retrieved by a non-combatant vessel not directly affiliated with the Foundation and treated with Class-A amnestics. In the event of a renewal occurrence, all witnesses are to be administered Class-A amnestics, and misinformation must be disseminated to cover up any resulting damage. Effective containment measures for SCP-053-DE are currently under development.
Description: SCP-053-DE refers to a replica of the Tirpitz, a Bismarck-class battleship that was destroyed in 1944. SCP-053-DE is capable of utilizing the full power and armament that the Tirpitz had at its launch, including identical armor. SCP-053-DE appears to perform all its functions without a human operator. (See Document 053-4R, Security Clearance Level 3 required.) It has also been confirmed that SCP-053-DE is intelligent, sentient, and unmanned. (See Incident 053-A01.)
Since its observation began, SCP-053-DE has alternated between navigating the North Sea, the European Arctic Ocean, and the North Atlantic, consistently maintaining a minimum distance of 25 kilometers from any landmass, and avoiding waters less than 20 meters deep. As it has never docked at a port to refuel or restock ammunition, it is assumed that the ship possesses an inexhaustible supply of these resources.
Instead of emitting exhaust, SCP-053-DE continuously releases a pure white mist that completely envelops the ship. This mist forms a rough cylindrical shape with an average radius of 20 kilometers and a height of approximately 3 kilometers. The water beneath the mist is murky and milky to a depth of 800 meters. The mist and water completely obscure SCP-053-DE, block all radio signals, and are impervious to any known analytical, detection, or tracking methods. As a result, analysis of the mist and water has thus far been inconclusive. SCP-053-DE itself appears unaffected by the mist and is even capable of receiving radio signals.
If a military vessel not belonging to the German Navy or another institution based in Germany (hereafter referred to as the "target") enters a radius of 110 kilometers, SCP-053-DE immediately sets a course toward it. Once the target is reached, swallowed by the mist, and effectively cut off from the outside world, SCP-053-DE opens fire without establishing visual contact and sinks the target. SCP-053-DE attacks not only surface ships and boats but also submarines, regardless of whether they are submerged. In such cases, the water affected by SCP-053-DE increases the buoyant force acting on the targeted submarine to the extent that surfacing is inevitable. If a submarine is deeper than 800 meters below the water's surface, SCP-053-DE will pursue it until it is forced to surface or becomes inoperable for any reason.
Additionally, SCP-053-DE has demonstrated the ability to distinguish whether a vessel genuinely belongs to a German institution or is merely attempting to feign such affiliation. Once a target is sunk, SCP-053-DE ignores the wreckage and any surviving crew members. (See Addendum 053-DE-2.) It remains unclear how SCP-053-DE reloads its ammunition without human assistance.
Since observation began, SCP-053-DE has destroyed 3 aircraft carriers, 2 frigates, 4 cruisers, 6 destroyers, 8 corvettes, 10 submarines, 2 minesweepers, and 7 auxiliary ships. However, it has ignored all civilian vessels, actively avoiding them whenever possible.
The Foundation became aware of SCP-053-DE through the analysis of satellite imagery. Initially, due to the complete concealment of the ship, it was classified as an anomalous weather phenomenon, with the mist produced by SCP-053-DE receiving the SCP designation. The true nature of the anomaly was only revealed in 19██ when several lifeboats carrying survivors of an SCP-053 attack appeared in Sunderland, United Kingdom. However, the testimonies of these witnesses were limited due to the restricted visibility caused by the mist. The only information the Foundation could gather at the time was that SCP-053-DE was described as "a massive ship." After their interviews, the witnesses were administered Class-A amnestics.
Concrete information about SCP-053-DE was only obtained in 20██ from Document 053-4R, which was secured during a raid on a facility belonging to the interest group "Fourth Reich."
Private Notes of Acolyte Strom on Project "Great Wave"
21.9.19██
Rass has tasked me with procuring ships to secure the sea routes when he begins his takeover. How does he imagine that will work? Sure, my ability to manipulate the souls of inanimate objects has been sufficient to repair some of his devices, but those were no bigger than a refrigerator. I can't just conjure battleships out of thin air. That’s more of a job for Faust or Blitz. Rass suggested using wrecks, but good luck finding a wreck—especially a German one—that still has enough hatred or resolve left to be put back into service.
9.11.19██
I’ve compiled a list of possible wrecks: Bismarck, Prinz Eugen, Admiral Scheer (if we can dig it out), Scharnhorst, Wilhelm Heidkamp, Blücher, and a few submarines. Hopelessly outdated by today’s standards, but the souls of objects possess powers beyond human comprehension. With some luck, they could become weapons that would make even the United States Navy tremble.
And if that’s not enough, we still have Faust and Blitz.11.11.19██
Rass ran all my suggestions through his demon calculator. Not good results. The Bismarck and several submarines lie too deep; some ships and submarines can't be salvaged without interference from [REDACTED]; and many are simply unsuitable for my plans. My personal favorite: the wreck of the Prinz Eugen is apparently fake. How anyone fakes a wreck is beyond me. Looks like I’ll need to search for other wrecks.
12.11.19██
I’ve been given the suggestion to use foreign ships. I’ll have to test that idea on a case-by-case basis.
07.01.19██
Terrible idea—just terrible. I traveled around the world and attempted to convince some ships to fight for our cause as an experiment. The test subjects were the USS Texas, USS Iowa, Aurora, Mikasa, and HMS Victory. Each of these ships would turn against us the moment they realized who we were sending them against. The Mikasa in particular didn’t even listen to me and simply stated that it would "honorably scuttle itself" if sent into battle by any country other than Japan. Foreign ships are out. The options are narrowing…
04.04.19██
Today I had an inspiration. It came to me when I opened a cardboard box with my Damascus pocket knife. It was a gift from my uncle. The idea is actually quite simple. Even if an object is broken down into its individual parts and those are reworked into something new, a part of its soul still remains in it. My pocket knife is made from the hull armor of the Tirpitz. If I can get it to remember its old form, I could bypass this annoying wreck problem. What's left of the Tirpitz can’t be easily raised anyway. Now it’s time to cross my fingers.
23.04.19██
It worked! The soul of the Tirpitz was nearly extinguished, but I managed to rekindle it. Her desire for a second chance was truly overwhelming. I lost my Damascus knife, but it unfolded into a battleship right before my eyes. I will need to strengthen the soul of this ship further, even though the Bismarck class is the finest the German shipbuilding industry has produced. But I’m confident.
13.05.19██
The soul is growing. It’s amazing how much hatred and bloodlust still reside in this ship. Today, for the first time, she moved her rudder on her own. Rass was also pleased with my progress. I will continue my efforts.
20.07.19██
Something incredible happened today. The Tirpitz created an avatar. The only downside is that the avatar has the form of an old man. Ships are referred to as "she," so one would expect a beautiful woman, especially with a ship like this.
22.07.19██
Since the avatar’s creation, the Tirpitz has gained complete control over herself. A test with the light FLAK showed that we don’t even need anyone to reload anymore. The ship is now fully autonomous.
24.07.19██
I’ve added a small safeguard to prevent any potential disaster. The Tirpitz has a great love for the Third Reich, so I was able to manipulate it in a way that she leaves ships of its successor Germany, and its successor, the Fourth Reich, alone. Fortunately, she hates deserters, so she can still attack groups she perceives as enemies, even if they are from Germany. But I’ve made the Fourth Reich untouchable for her. The ship was suspicious of this safeguard but tolerated it once I explained that it was a standard procedure. If the experiment succeeds and I bring back other ships, I might make it a real one.
29.07.19██
The Tirpitz seems to be fully on our side. She can’t wait to go back to war. By the way, I’ve discovered the origin of the avatar’s form. Apparently, he is the likeness of a mechanic who treated the ship very lovingly during his time on board. It’s interesting that the Tirpitz remembers individual crew members.
Today, we officially placed our symbol on the ship names. The Tirpitz said she felt honored. Things are looking good.
19.08.19██
The soul strengthening has had unexpected results. The ship's engines suddenly started and are now idling. The Tirpitz is generating a dense fog, making location and communication impossible, even over cables. The good news is that we no longer need to activate Faust and Blitz. The bad news is that I can no longer reach anyone over the phone from the dock and constantly bump into things everywhere. Let’s see if I can increase the fog production further.
30.10.19██
Rass announced that he will brief the Tirpitz tomorrow on her exact tasks. Personally, I’m still not completely satisfied with my results, but there are still several years before the ship will be deployed.
31.10.19██
Mr. Rass caused a terrible accident. In his defense, I must say that I didn’t expect the Tirpitz to flip out so much at the phrase "remain on standby." The ship probably just wanted to get out. She blew up the docks and took off. We’ll need to come up with a strategy.
10.11.19██
I now know the driving force of this ship. It is unbridled battle lust. The Tirpitz has already ambushed and sunk two military ships and a submarine. We need to stop her before she gets the idea to attack a harbor.
15.11.19██
The fog has an unexpected side effect. Mr. Rass’s demons can’t navigate in it, let alone locate the Tirpitz. Many of the skilled demons don’t even return from the fog. Presumably, the Tirpitz can attack them because, technically, they are only allies of the Fourth Reich and not direct members. I am probably the only one who can locate her and reach her unharmed by listening to the sound of her soul. Therefore, I will ask Rass to let me go myself.
18.11.19██
The Tirpitz has set a direct course for the naval base at Portsmouth. She is not responding to any of our radio signals. I must hurry, or our entire operation will be exposed.
19.11.19██
I did it. I still don’t know exactly how, but I did it. I intercepted the Tirpitz with a boat and manipulated her soul. Without the right equipment, it was, of course, amateurish, but the results speak for themselves. I was able to address a particular grudge the ship had, namely, her time in the Norwegian fjords, where she had to stay for a long time without ever encountering the enemy. She wanted to fight back then but couldn’t. Amplifying this hatred had a strange effect on the ship. It is now repelled by land and attracted to seawater, similar to a magnet but without sinking. When the Tirpitz realized this, she was fortunately already pushed through the British Isles into the North Sea without dragging me along. Due to the lack of suitable weapons, we were no longer able to destroy the battleship. Even if we had a ship or bomber, the fog would have made it very difficult to hit the ship, even with a lot of luck. Rass was pleased with the results. The Tirpitz will remain hidden by her fog and is now trapped in the open sea. No one will ever see her long enough or well enough to report on her.
And even if they do, who would believe such a thing?
Addendum 053-DE-1: On ██.██.20██, due to the high number of fatalities and the immense material damage, an attempt was made to neutralize the SCP. Bombers, artillery fire, and guided missiles proved insufficient against SCP-053-DE's fog, so Neutralization Plan 053-52EX was developed and executed under the command of the British Foundation. They provided the foundation's own Corvette Herald and an MTF specifically assembled for this mission. The German Foundation contributed specially designed adhesive mines for the neutralization attempt.
07:05:32: The MTF departs from the port of Torpoint aboard the Herald.
10:13:01: The ship's captain reports a sighting of SCP-053-DE's fog wall. Satellite imagery confirms that SCP-053-DE is heading towards the Herald.
11:37:54: The ship enters the fog wall. As planned in the mission, the captain begins to maneuver in serpentine patterns to provide SCP-053-DE with a more difficult target.
11:39:18: SCP-053-DE opens artillery fire on the Herald, despite no visual contact. The sound of the fired artillery is used for navigation.
11:45:09: SCP-053-DE comes into view. It is observed steering to starboard to bring more turrets to bear for firing.
11:46:02: As planned, the crew pretends to panic and begins manning the lifeboats. A shot from SCP-053-DE hits directly next to the corvette, damaging its hull. This impairs the ship's control.
11:49:41: The third and final lifeboat is launched. While being lowered, SCP-053-DE hits the engine room with a shot. The Herald catches fire and capsizes from the impact. The lifeboat's ropes break, causing it to fall approximately 0.5 meters onto the water's surface. No damage occurs to the boat, but three occupants suffer moderate burns.
11:50:00: All lifeboats head toward SCP-053-DE. In the meantime, it ceases its fire and begins to turn. The burn victims are provided with temporary medical treatment.
11:59:32: All lifeboats reach the hull of SCP-053-DE. The adhesive mines are attached. All units then withdraw.
12:14:45: The mines detonate. Severe damage to SCP-053-DE confirmed. The ship begins to sink.
12:21:11: SCP-053-DE's fog begins to dissipate. A successful radio transmission is made.
12:39:58: A person floating in the water is sighted. Appearance suggests an anomalous nature.
12:48:07: The person is hauled aboard a lifeboat without resistance and secured.
14:33:02: Recovery helicopters reach the MTF. All units and the anomalous person are boarded.
No further incidents. Neutralization successful. End of report.
Final remark: The three burn victims received medical treatment for four weeks and fully recovered.
The person found during the neutralization attempt has been classified as SCP-053-DE-A and transported to Site-DE17. SCP-053-DE-A appears to be a man of approximately fifty years of age of Caucasian descent, wearing the uniform of a captain of the German Kriegsmarine. He is clean-shaven and has gray-white hair. His pale gray skin tone is particularly notable. SCP-053-DE-A speaks with a slight Lower Saxon accent and has not consumed any food or water during his captivity.
Incident 053-A01: On ██.██.20██ at 07:30, an interrogation of SCP-053-DE-A was conducted. The interviewer was Dr. Joch.
SCP-053-A is brought into the interrogation room by two guards and takes a seat on the designated chair. Dr. Joch enters as well and sits across from SCP-053-A.
Dr. Joch: Good morning, SCP-053-DE-A, how are we feeling today?
SCP-053-DE-A: Just two days ago, you sunk me. How do you think I feel? Also, what’s this SCP-053-DE-A nonsense? My prisoner number?
Dr. Joch: Something like that. Now, SCP-053-DE-A, I have a few questions for you. First, we have a document about you that states you were created by a certain Acolyte Strom. Can you tell me anything about him?
SCP-053-DE-A: (irritated) Strom… That bastard didn’t create me, he just reconditioned me. And when I didn’t obey him word for word, he banished me to the sea! If I ever see that son of a-.
Dr. Joch: SCP-053-DE-A, please answer my question.
SCP-053-DE-A: Are you an enemy of Strom and this Rass?
Dr. Joch: I must confirm that. So, will you now answer my question? The enemy of my enemy can be a friend.
SCP-053-DE-A: The enemy of my enemy is just another enemy. You sank me, remember? Besides, what do you expect me to tell you? I haven’t seen Strom in ██ years. He was small, wore nickel-plated glasses, had brown hair, and gray eyes, and was frail. I have no idea what he looks like now or if he’s even alive. The same goes for Rass. He always kept to the shadows. All I know is that he’s male, and I only know that because of his name.
Dr. Joch: (sighs) Alright, next question. You refer to this copy of the Tirpitz in the first person, why?
SCP-053-DE-A gasps indignantly.
SCP-053-DE-A: C-copy? What nonsense, I’m no copy, I am the Tirpitz!
Dr. Joch: I’m sorry, but that statement seems rather unbelievable. The Tirpitz was destroyed in 1944. The remains of her wreck lie somewhere near Tromsøya.
SCP-053-DE-A: These remains are also me. I have been divided into many individual pieces, yet I am still whole.
Dr. Joch raises his left eyebrow.
Dr. Joch: Hm. Anyway, moving on. Why did your crew attack so many ships and submarines? Germany is not at war with any of the countries whose ships you have attacked. You had no reason for that.
SCP-053-DE-A: Doctor, have you fished anyone else out of the sea besides this avatar here?
Dr. Joch: No.
SCP-053-DE-A: Exactly, I don't need a crew, Strom was the last one to be on board. I don't need a crew to carry out my tasks.
Dr. Joch: Fine, let's assume I believe you, that you are the Tirpitz. Why do you see it as your duty to sink non-German military ships and the like?
SCP-053-DE-A: It's simple, I was built for this, and during my entire service with the Kriegsmarine, I had very few opportunities to do so. Imagine, in the three years after my commissioning, I didn’t even get to engage any enemy ships. Always just submarines or airplanes. I'm the second ship of the Bismarck class, damn it. I thought I could go out to the high seas, fight warships with my guns, and then die an honorable death deep in the sea. But no, I had to pretend to be on guard duty in some cursed fjords to scare the British, and then I didn't even sink in the sea, I just capsized. I CAPSIZED, just lying on my side. Do you know how embarrassing that was for me?
Dr. Joch: I’ve never capsized, so no.
SCP-053-DE-A: That was a rhetorical question.
Dr. Joch: (sighs) SCP-053-DE-A, as I said, we are not at war with any of the parties you've attacked. Did it never occur to you during your time at sea that the world war had long since ended?
SCP-053-DE-A: Of course, I noticed, I can receive the radio transmissions of other ships. But as long as there are two different states in the world, there will always be enemies. You may be at peace now, but as soon as your opinions diverge too much, there will be war again. I’m just doing the groundwork.
Dr. Joch: That’s too simplistic. You only attack military vessels, not civilian ships. You could cause much more damage.
SCP-053-DE-A: That may be true, but consider this. If I attacked civilian ships, I might injure residents of those countries if any are aboard. As long as I can't rule that out, I won’t attack. I still possess some honor as a warship.
Dr. Joch: What you call honor... But let’s leave that. How did you manage to determine which command each ship you encountered was under? We’ve made extensive deception attempts.
SCP-053-DE-A: Oh, that was you? Sloppy work. As long as you don’t disguise the soul of a ship, you can’t deceive me.
Dr. Joch: The soul of a ship?
SCP-053-DE-A: Yes, every ship has a soul. Even this corvette you sent after me. That experience was very enlightening, by the way.
Dr. Joch: Why?
SCP-053-DE-A: I learned the following: no survivors after an attack. I also learned this: Your Foundation is my enemy, no matter what country it is based in.
Dr. Joch shrugs.
Dr. Joch: Then it’s a good thing you can't use that knowledge anymore.
SCP-053-DE-A starts laughing uncontrollably.
Dr. Joch: What is it? What’s so funny?
SCP-053-DE-A: (still laughing) Doctor, didn’t I tell you earlier? I’m in pieces yet whole. And now you’ll see what I mean.
At this point, SCP-053-DE-A disappears from the interrogation room. Surveillance footage shows SCP-053-DE-A vanishing between two frames.
Dr. Joch: What the hell?
End of log.
At the same time as the end of the interview, the first and so far only documented renewal event of SCP-053-DE occurred. In Oslo, Norway, the asphalt of the ████████ gate cracked open. According to eyewitnesses, a rapidly growing object emerged from the asphalt, which was immediately thrown southward without any external influence. During its flight, the object was enveloped in a white mist. Satellite images show that shortly thereafter, the object landed in the Skagerrak and began producing large amounts of mist. The failure to neutralize SCP-053-DE was confirmed. 700 eyewitnesses were given Class-A amnestic drugs after questioning, and media coverage was suppressed. The damage to the ████████ gate was attributed to a faulty gas pipeline. Further cover-up measures were deemed unnecessary, as SCP-053-DE was simply perceived by most people as a fast-moving cloud due to its mist. During the investigation of the damage, it was found that one of the cover plates of the sewer system running under the ████████ gate was missing. Further research revealed that the plate in question was originally an armored plate from the Tirpitz. How SCP-053-DE survived its impact on the water's surface without breaking apart is currently unknown.
"Through the events that occurred on ██.██.20██, I have come to the conclusion that the neutralization of SCP-053-DE is impossible as long as pieces of the Tirpitz remain somewhere on land. Collecting all those pieces is even impossible for the Foundation; just think of all the damask knives that have been sold or given away—it's impossible to track them all. Therefore, instead of a neutralization method, we should focus on devising an effective containment strategy, one in which SCP-053-DE cannot escape by simply detonating itself in an emergency, only to reappear somewhere else through a renewal event." —Dr. Joch
Addendum 053-DE-2: SCP-053-DE no longer leaves any survivors after its attacks. The wounds found on some of the recovered corpses suggest that SCP-053-DE uses all of its guns to eliminate the shipwrecked. Additionally, SCP-053-DE now targets all Foundation ships, even non-combatant ones and those under the command of the German Foundation. These developments must be taken into account during the capture and containment procedures.