SCP-172

Item #: SCP-172

Object Class: Euclid

Special Containment Procedures: Due to the meagre dimensions and rugged surface of SCP-172, no surface layer is allowed to develop any appreciable erosion. The affected areas are to be monitored constantly; any traces of erosion are to be repaired immediately. Any organisms present in the affected area are to be removed or relocated.

Due to their size, moving SCP-172 away from the edge of such a large lake is impossible. Therefore, a perimeter fence has been constructed around SCP-172 and is to be monitored by security personnel at all times. Any personnel caught violating this protocol will receive the standard punishment for unauthorized entry into Site-119, along with a permanent ban on re-entering.

No exploration of SCP-172 without prior approval of Dr ████ and an escort team of two personnel is permitted. If possible, exploration should take place during winter months when water levels are lowest. Lights should not be left on overnight as they will increase sedimentation rates.

Description: SCP-172 is an artificial pond with an area of approximately 50m by 100m, covering approximately 8m of depth. The pond appears to be roughly circular in shape. In addition, water has shown unusual light refraction properties similar to that of water containing suspended particulate matter (i.e., raindrops and other particles).

The surface of SCP-172 remains completely clear and transparent at all times. However, SCP-172 possesses anomalous properties when illuminated by lighting fixtures with either incandescent bulbs or fluorescent tubes. When illuminated this way, SCP-172 will have the appearance of a human face. Analysis of this phenomenon has shown that the effect is temporary; as soon as the light source is turned off, or if the illumination remains for a prolonged period, the effect disappears and SCP-172 returns back to its normal state.

SCP-172 was discovered in ████ on 11/██/20██ when Agent █████ walked across one of the lakeshore paths and observed the aforementioned effect. Agent █████ reported this to Dr ████ who was studying SCP-172 nearby. Within two days, a team of Foundation agents had formed and were studying how to deal with the issue.

Addendum: On 02/██/20██, Dr ████ and Agent █████ were able to confirm that SCP-172 was indeed the source of the anomalous effect; however, they were unable to determine how the effect was being produced. The latter half of this report will focus on the attempts to identify the exact cause of SCP-172's anomalous properties.

Initial exploration of SCP-172 proved to be uneventful, with only minor differences in its appearance between winter and summer months. This changed after several months when Agent █████ discovered a large spike protruding out of the surface of SCP-172. Further investigation proved that this spike was hollow with numerous tracks of erosion running through its interior. Eroded areas in the interior have been confirmed to contain a variety of organisms previously unknown to science, including one species of human with an unusually large head, as well as several different species of fish.

On 09/██/20██, an expedition into SCP-172 was authorized after Agent █████ located what appeared to be a trap door leading down into SCP-172's depths. The door was opened and found to lead into a small chamber filled with water capable of supporting human life. Inside this room was a decaying skeleton, approximately 5m by 4m in size. Tests performed on the skeleton revealed that it had been preserved in SCP-172's water for at least 6 years without decomposition due to its acidic properties, as well as several other unusual properties.

After further investigation, it became clear that the skeleton belonged to a human female who died at least 30 years prior due to old age. Analysis of her body showed that she had several injuries consistent with a fall but no signs of trauma. This leads researchers to hypothesize that the skeleton belongs to a victim who accidentally fell into SCP-172 and were carried down into its depths until their death, possibly due to a lack of food and water from above. The corpse has not been moved from its designated chamber despite several attempts by researchers to do so.